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| Pence and Priebus defend Trump's false claim that millions voted illegally Pence and Priebus defend Trump's false claim that millions voted illegally | |
| (4 days later) | |
| Donald Trump’s vice-president-elect and his chief of staff on Sunday defended the president-elect’s false claim that millions of people voted illegally in November’s election, saying it was “refreshing” and “possible”. | Donald Trump’s vice-president-elect and his chief of staff on Sunday defended the president-elect’s false claim that millions of people voted illegally in November’s election, saying it was “refreshing” and “possible”. |
| Hillary Clinton now leads in the popular vote by more than 2.5m ballots. Last weekend, Trump tweeted: “In addition to winning the electoral college in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.” | Hillary Clinton now leads in the popular vote by more than 2.5m ballots. Last weekend, Trump tweeted: “In addition to winning the electoral college in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.” |
| He added: “Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California – so why isn’t the media reporting on this? Serious bias – big problem!” | He added: “Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California – so why isn’t the media reporting on this? Serious bias – big problem!” |
| There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the US’s decentralized system, which cedes election authority to state and city governments, makes a “rigged” election a virtual impossibility. | There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the US’s decentralized system, which cedes election authority to state and city governments, makes a “rigged” election a virtual impossibility. |
| Nonetheless Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, told CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday he believed it was possible that millions of people voted illegally, with state officials and nonpartisan election monitors either oblivious or permissive. | Nonetheless Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, told CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday he believed it was possible that millions of people voted illegally, with state officials and nonpartisan election monitors either oblivious or permissive. |
| “It’s possible,” he said. When host John Dickerson pressed Priebus over Trump’s false claim, he insisted: “I don’t know if that’s not true.” | “It’s possible,” he said. When host John Dickerson pressed Priebus over Trump’s false claim, he insisted: “I don’t know if that’s not true.” |
| Priebus refused to say if the presidency was an appropriate platform from which to spread rumors and false news. | Priebus refused to say if the presidency was an appropriate platform from which to spread rumors and false news. |
| “I think he’s done a great job,” he said. “I think the president-elect is someone who has pushed the envelope and caused people to think in this country. He’s not taking conventional thought on every single issue.” | “I think he’s done a great job,” he said. “I think the president-elect is someone who has pushed the envelope and caused people to think in this country. He’s not taking conventional thought on every single issue.” |
| Vice-President-elect Mike Pence also defended Trump’s tweet, telling the host of ABC’s This Week, George Stephanopoulos: “I don’t know that that is a false statement, George, and neither do you.” | Vice-President-elect Mike Pence also defended Trump’s tweet, telling the host of ABC’s This Week, George Stephanopoulos: “I don’t know that that is a false statement, George, and neither do you.” |
| Pressed on the lack of evidence for Trump’s claim, Pence said: “He’s entitled to express his opinion on that. | Pressed on the lack of evidence for Trump’s claim, Pence said: “He’s entitled to express his opinion on that. |
| “I think the American people find it very refreshing that they have a president who will tell them what’s on his mind. He’s going to say what he believes to be true and I know that he’s always going to speak in that way as president. | “I think the American people find it very refreshing that they have a president who will tell them what’s on his mind. He’s going to say what he believes to be true and I know that he’s always going to speak in that way as president. |
| Trump lost the popular vote by at least 2.6m votes, with some ballots still being counted. The president-elect’s claim that 3m votes were cast by undocumented people apparently derives from an article on the conspiracist InfoWars website that drew its information from a non-existent report and tweets by an unaffiliated person. | Trump lost the popular vote by at least 2.6m votes, with some ballots still being counted. The president-elect’s claim that 3m votes were cast by undocumented people apparently derives from an article on the conspiracist InfoWars website that drew its information from a non-existent report and tweets by an unaffiliated person. |
| A Trump spokesman, Jason Miller, has cited a widely disputed 2014 article and a 2012 Pew study that does not show evidence of any fraud. | A Trump spokesman, Jason Miller, has cited a widely disputed 2014 article and a 2012 Pew study that does not show evidence of any fraud. |
| Research over the last 16 years has found voter fraud to be extremely uncommon, and 2016 appears to follow that pattern. ProPublica election monitors saw no evidence of widespread illegal voting. | Research over the last 16 years has found voter fraud to be extremely uncommon, and 2016 appears to follow that pattern. ProPublica election monitors saw no evidence of widespread illegal voting. |
| The Washington Post, meanwhile, found four documented cases of voter fraud in the November election: an Iowa woman who voted twice for Trump; a Texas man who voted twice for Trump; an Illinois woman who voted for her dead husband; and a Florida woman who was filling in votes for absentee ballots. | The Washington Post, meanwhile, found four documented cases of voter fraud in the November election: an Iowa woman who voted twice for Trump; a Texas man who voted twice for Trump; an Illinois woman who voted for her dead husband; and a Florida woman who was filling in votes for absentee ballots. |