ATLANTA — As President Donald Trump and his supporters watched his lead over Democrat Joe Biden decrease in Georgia, Republicans placed blame on the election itself.

In an effort to rally their conservative base late Thursday, Donald Trump Jr., Congressman Doug Collins and Democrat turned Trump loyalist Vernon Jones echoed the president’s unfounded claims about a tampered vote count.

Just moments before the trio spoke, Trump rattled off misleading and out-of-context statements about the election so far in the Peach State, including a claim that Georgia elections are run by Democrats — they’re not; Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his office oversee Georgia elections – Raffensperger is a Republican.

The president did have a significant lead in Georgia Tuesday night, but as ballots from left-leaning urban areas trickled in, Georgia — and the nation — watched as the race narrowed.

By Thursday night at shortly before 10 p.m., Trump’s lead had dwindled to less than 2,000 votes — with more than 16,000 left to be tallied, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Collins, who conceded to U.S. Sen. Loeffler in the U.S. Senate special election Tuesday night, returned to his role as die-hard Trump defender at the rally — his first appearance after losing the bid.

The Republican compared alleged election tampering by Democrat-run cities — Fulton County being the main target of Republican falsehoods — to Russian election meddling and impeachment proceedings.

“As I told the Democrats in Congress, I’m going to tell Democrats in the state of Georgia and all over this country: the clock and calendar is watching,” he said repeating his regularly used line. “You’re trying to do it fast because you want it wrong, because you don’t believe Donald Trump should be elected president.”

“These votes will be counted — every legal vote counted,” he added.

Raffensperger stressed to Georgians on Wednesday that every legal vote would be counted and voters can be assured the process has been fair and accurate.

“Every legal ballot will be counted in Georgia,” Raffensperger reiterated multiple times.