President Donald Trump has alleged, without providing evidence, that Democrats are engaged in widespread fraud to influence the outcomes of California's primary elections, including races for Governor and Mayor of Los Angeles. He asserted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that federal prosecutors in Los Angeles are investigating these claims.
Trump posted late Wednesday, stating, "The Dumocrats are at it again! They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS." He further elaborated, "There’s BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California. Votes are all tied up. May not be in for weeks. Under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Why the vote counting DELAY???"
A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, which is led by Trump appointee First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, declined to comment on the President's assertions. The office of California Secretary of State Shirley Weber also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Governor Gavin Newsom's office responded to Trump's claims via social media, stating, "Trump is lying about California again — time to take the phone away from grandpa and put him to sleep." Later, Newsom's office addressed the widespread misinformation, including that from the President, explaining that delays in vote counting in California are due to the state's decision to prioritize offering voters last-minute ballot casting options over a rapid count. They acknowledged a desire for faster vote tabulation, noting that this issue is not new.
Brandon Richards, Newsom's deputy director for rapid response, characterized Trump's claims as a "tinfoil hat level conspiracy theory that has been debunked repeatedly." Election experts and Democratic leaders had anticipated such allegations, dismissing them in advance as baseless rhetoric. They attribute the extended vote-counting period in California to the state's allowance of mail-in ballots to be submitted up to Election Day, which requires extensive processing and signature verification, not to any fraudulent activity.
Trump, a consistent critic of election integrity, has repeatedly questioned election results he and his party have lost, most notably the 2020 presidential election. His claims about mail-in ballots and undocumented immigrants voting, particularly in large states like California, have been consistently disputed by experts due to a lack of evidence. These accusations typically emerge when Republicans face electoral setbacks. His administration previously attempted to implement stricter election laws, such as barring mail ballots and requiring stringent voter identification, but faced legal challenges from states like California over the constitutionality of such measures.
Trump's recent remarks coincided with ongoing vote counts that narrowed the lead of Republican Steve Hilton in the California governor's race and reduced the margin in the Los Angeles mayoral race. Election officials and experts had warned of a potential "red mirage," where early results might favor Republicans due to earlier voting patterns, with later-counted Democratic ballots potentially altering the perceived outcomes. This phenomenon has been observed in previous elections. State officials had made efforts to preemptively explain the reasons for delayed counts to counter claims of fraud, but such accusations persisted from various political figures, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Trump administration official Katie Miller, who also questioned the integrity of the vote tabulation process.
