U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday made a series of unfounded and outright false allegations about voter fraud as several states continue to count ballots days after the presidential election.
Speaking from the White House, Trump baselessly accused Democratic candidate Joe Biden and his party of trying to steal the election, casting doubt on the legitimacy of mail-in ballots that appear to have been overwhelmingly cast for the former vice-president.
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“This is a case where they’re trying to steal an election, they’re trying to rig an election, and we can’t let that happen,” Trump said, providing no evidence of the party’s alleged corruption.
The president complained that states where he was leading on election night are now showing a far smaller gap between himself and Biden, including Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Trump’s comments ignored that for months, he urged his supporters to vote in person, rather than by mail — leaving Democrats to represent that vast majority of mailed-in ballots.
Over 100 million Americans voted prior to election day, including over 63 million by mail, due to extra precautions recommended by health officials during the coronavirus pandemic.
That has left battleground states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and others with a deluge of ballots that has taken extra time to count. Some of those states say they still have hundreds of thousands of ballots to go through — all of which were cast before the polls closed Tuesday night.
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Trump also promised “a lot of litigation” over the results, suggesting again he will go to the Supreme Court, a threat he made on the night of the election. It’s unclear what argument Trump would bring to the high court, which does not hear direct challenges.
Biden is currently leading Trump in electoral college votes by 264 to 214, according to a tally by the Associated Press. The former vice-president is currently leading in Nevada, whose six electoral votes would secure him the presidency.
Biden, who has appealed for calm as the count continues, said in a tweet after Trump’s speech that “no one is going to take our democracy away from us. Not now, not ever.”
The president complained about the electoral process even while noting Republican achievements further down the ballot. No Republicans lost seats in the House of Representatives, while the party is expected to retain its slim majority in the Senate despite a Democratic push.
Vice President Mike Pence took to Twitter in a show of support of Trump’s statements, saying he “stands with” the president and called for “every LEGAL vote” to be counted, despite Trump complaining about the legal vote count itself.
I Stand With President @realDonaldTrump. We must count every LEGAL vote.
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) November 6, 2020
Yet Trump’s comments were also rebuked by some select Republicans in both chambers of Congress, including Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah — the only member of his party to vote for Trump’s removal from office after his impeachment.
“Counting every vote is at the heart of democracy,” Romney said. “That process is often long and, for those running, frustrating. The votes will be counted.”
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 6, 2020
We want every vote counted, yes every legal vote (of course). But, if you have legit concerns about fraud present EVIDENCE and take it to court. STOP Spreading debunked misinformation… This is getting insane.
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) November 6, 2020
I have experienced both losses and victories in elections. Losses hurt deeply – I know that personally. But our nation demands that its political leaders accept both wins and losses with grace and maturity. Let the voters decide.
— Rep. Paul Mitchell (@RepPaulMitchell) November 6, 2020
There were harsher words from both state Republicans and past members of Congress, including former senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, who said Trump’s statements were “unacceptable. Period.” He also called on other Republicans to speak out.
No Republican should be okay with the President's statements just now. Unacceptable. Period.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) November 6, 2020
William Cogswell, who on Tuesday was elected to South Carolina’s state legislature, said he was “embarrassed” by what Trump said.
As a Republican who just won in a Blue district, I am embarrassed and ashamed by what I just heard from POTUS.
— William Cogswell (@CogswellWilliam) November 6, 2020
Top Republicans like recently re-elected Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have not yet spoken publicly on Trump’s statements.
Before the press conference Thursday, McConnell told reporters that “claiming you’ve won the election is different from finishing the counting.” His office declined to comment Thursday evening.
On Wednesday, McCarthy reacted to questions about Trump’s past false statements about the vote count by accusing the reporter of “asking the same questions” and wanting Trump to lose the election.
“What (the president) wants to make sure is that every legal vote is counted,” he said.
.@mkraju: Trump said votes being counted is 'a fraud on the American public' and 'an embarrassment to our county.' Do you think POTUS should be sowing doubt?
McCARTHY: "Your questions never change … what POTUS wants to make sure is that every legal vote is counted." pic.twitter.com/6HrIvKHisD
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 4, 2020