Key facts
- Donald Trump alleged California's elections are rigged due to prolonged vote counting.
- Trump questioned results in the Los Angeles mayoral race where his endorsed candidate, Spencer Pratt, was in third place.
- He also cast doubt on the California gubernatorial primary results where his endorsed candidate, Steve Hilton, was trailing.
- California officials state their election system has rigorous safeguards, including equipment testing and ballot verification.
- The state's mail-in voting system, designed to increase participation, contributes to longer counting times.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson also expressed doubts about the integrity of California's election process.
Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of California's election system, alleging fraud and questioning the integrity of vote counts in recent primary elections. Trump specifically targeted the Los Angeles mayoral race, where his endorsed candidate, former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, was trailing incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and City Council member Nithya Raman. Trump wrote on social media that it was 'not possible' for Pratt to have lost given his initial lead, calling the elections 'Rigged Elections!'
California officials have defended the state's electoral process, emphasizing rigorous safeguards including testing of voting equipment, strict ballot chain of custody controls, and signature verification. The state's reliance on mail-in voting, which allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to a week later, contributes to the extended tabulation period. Trump also pointed to the California governor's race, suggesting manipulation to exclude his endorsed candidate, Steve Hilton, from advancing to the general election.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed these concerns, stating that votes are counted for weeks and that proving election manipulation can be 'impossible.' These criticisms align with Trump's broader narrative questioning the legitimacy of elections, particularly the 2020 presidential race. Election experts suggest this strategy aims to justify new voting restrictions and energize his base ahead of the upcoming November elections. Pratt himself suggested that a significant number of votes counted since Election Day, particularly those from homeless individuals, could swing the outcome of the mayoral race.