Donald Trump is telling supporters he already has Novembers election in the bag and that the only way he can lose is if the Democrats cheat, raising alarms about the prospect of another Jan. 6-like event fueled by election subversion.

Our primary focus is not to get out the vote. Its to make sure they dont cheat. Because we have all the votes we need, Trump claimed Wednesday at a rally in the battleground state of Arizona, whose electoral results he sought to toss out in 2020 based on false claims of widespread fraud.

If the thought of another insurrection sounds alarmist, consider what happened four years ago. Months before the 2020 election, Trump warned that it would be rigged . In December, days after the Electoral College cast its ballots for Democrat Joe Biden, Trump announced a wild protest on Jan. 6, and his allies launched the Stop the Steal movement, promoting false claims and conspiracy theories asserting the election was stolen by means of rigged voting machines and fraudulent ballot-stuffing.

Washington officials and law enforcement will be on high alert this time around, so another deadly riot breaking out at the U.S. Capitol doesnt seem likely. But that doesnt mean the threat of more violence is zero.

Trump and his GOP allies have been preemptively blaming an election loss on undocumented immigrants and suggesting the only thing that can stop them from throwing the election to Democrats is new legislation restricting noncitizen voting, even though its already illegal and rarely happens, and even though there is no chance of such legislation becoming law.

There is currently an unprecedented and a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system, and that is the threat of noncitizens and illegal aliens voting in our elections, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in May at a press conference in front of the House steps that had been stormed by Trumps mob.

Asked for evidence of fraud, Johnson had none but said he knew intuitively the threat was real.

Republicans have been busy filing preemptive lawsuits and making changes to election rules that could increase the chances of a disputed outcome. In Georgia, a crucial swing state, the Republican-controlled election board this week empowered county election officials, most of whom are partisan appointees, to launch inquiries into election results, potentially sowing doubt and delaying a winner being called.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who led the House Jan. 6 Committee, warned this week that Trump is plotting again to deny the election results.

His campaign proclaims elections wont end until the moment of inauguration We will win or it was rigged. We win or else. This is Donald Trumps America, Thompson said in a speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn told HuffPost over the phone that Trump is planting the seeds of doubt already, and thats all it took for Jan 6. to happen.

Even if its just a small percentage of [Trump supporters], thats all it takes. Hes planting the seeds, and its scary and dangerous, he said.

Dunn said he was 100% confident the Capitol Police would be adequately prepared for next Jan. 6, when Congress certifies the results, and that Biden would respond with additional security in case of trouble, unlike Trump, who stewed in the Oval Office during the riot and ignored pleas for help.

I cant imagine needs not being met, I cant imagine that happening but that doesnt mean they wont try, he added.