Illegal voting: Trump claims millions voted illegally, but where's the evidence?
President Donald Trump still believes millions of votes were cast illegally on Election Day, press secretary Sean Spicer said on Tuesday. "He continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him," Spicer added without providing any further proof or detail.
Despite lack of evidence, Trump has not stopped parroting a debunked claim. He told congressional leaders on Monday that millions of undocumented immigrants "had robbed him of a popular vote majority," according to the Washington Post. His comments indicate that he's concerned that the public does not see his presidency as legitimate, the Post added.
Even Republican leaders have rejected the notion of illegal voting. "I obviously have seen no evidence of illegal voting," Sen. John McCain told CNN on Tuesday. Sen. Lindsey Graham also told CNN on Tuesday, "If the President of the United States is claiming that 3.5 million people voted illegally, that shakes confidence in our democracy — he needs to disclose why he believes that."
The Washington Post reported that voting officials nationwide indicated there is virtually no evidence of people voting illegally, and particularly no evidence to suggest millions voted illegally.
Trump's obsession with voter fraud
Before Election Day, President Trump has maintained unsubstantiated assertions about voter fraud across the country — even after winning the election.
Trump's claims of voter fraud in these states prompted an immediate response by voting officials. "Virginia's election was well administered by our 133 professional local registrars. ... The election was fair and all votes cast by eligible voters were accurately counted," Virginia Commissioner of Elections Edgardo Cortés told Fox News on Nov. 28, 2016.
In November 2016, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla tweeted that Trump's allegations of voter fraud were "absurd." Further, the Boston Globe reported that former New Hampshire Attorney General Thomas D. Rath tweeted, "This will probably cost me my spot in the Cabinet but there was no fraud, serious or other, in this election in NH. There just wasn't."
