Law enforcement personnel disperse protesters during political clashes in Olympia, Washington, on Saturday. AFP

Four people were stabbed and one shot as thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump returned to Washington for weekend rallies to back his desperate efforts to subvert the election that he lost to Joe Biden.

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Trump's baseless claims of election fraud led to clashes in major US cities on Saturday. Sporadic fights broke out between pro-Trump and anti-Trump demonstrators after sundown on Saturday.

Trump supporters taunt counter-protesters during political clashes in Olympia, Washington, on Saturday. AFP

WRC-TV reported that four people were taken to a hospital with stab wounds, and the Metropolitan Police Department told the station that 23 people were arrested.

Scuffles broke out in many places between rally-goers and counter-protesters who turned up to criticize the president, who lost the November 3 election to Democrat Joe Biden but is yet to concede.

Washington State Police said in a tweet late Saturday that a shooting had taken place after clashes near the capitol building in Olympia, and that a suspect had been detained.

Members of the Proud Boys pray for a member who was stabbed during a protest in Washington on Saturday. AFP

In the US capital, DC Fire and EMS Department communications chief Doug Buchanan told AFP that four people had been stabbed and were now hospitalized "with serious injuries." The New York Times reported that 23 had been arrested throughout the day.

There was no indication of whether any of the victims had been involved in the protests, on either side of the divide.