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Trump news - live: Kellyanne Conway latest to say president has lost as Pence starts to distance himself

Donald Trump makes remarks about the election after presenting the Medal of Freedom to Lou Holtz in early December (EPA-EFE)
Donald Trump makes remarks about the election after presenting the Medal of Freedom to Lou Holtz in early December (EPA-EFE)

Some of Donald Trump's closest allies have begun distancing themselves from the president's challenges to the outcome of the 2020 election.

Former aide Kellaynne Conway on Friday acknowledged Joe Biden as the apparent winner, while Mike Pence maintained an awkward silence as he didn't acknowledge the crowd at his Georgia rally chanting "four more years" in support of Trump's Hail Mary pass at staying in the White House.

New filings show Trump and the Republican party have raised $207.5m since election day while the president's campaign has so far spent just $8.8m on filing those legal challenges to the election results.

That figure, mostly spent on the $3m Wisconsin recount and legal consulting fees, represents just 4.24 per cent of donations raised as Trump continues to fight the election results in court.

The gap of almost $200m has been going to paying off campaign debts and a new political action committee ahead of a potential 2024 re-election bid, according to the reporting by the New York Times and Washington Post.

It comes as the Trump administration continued its purge at the Pentagon, with members of the Defence Business Board reportedly fired on Friday just weeks after the Defence secretary Mark Esper was pushed out of the top job.

Also today, Joe Biden has urged President Trump to attend his inauguration next month to “end the chaos” he has created, arguing it was important for there to be a “peaceful" transfer of power.