This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38737713

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Trump told to 'knock this off' on immigrant vote fraud claim Trump's voter fraud claim 'based on evidence'
(about 1 hour later)
Republicans have admonished President Donald Trump after he repeated his unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud in November's US election. President Donald Trump believes that millions of people voted illegally in the US election based on "studies and evidence", the White House has said.
Mr Trump told congressional leaders at a reception on Monday that millions of undocumented immigrants had voted illegally for Hillary Clinton. Press secretary Sean Spicer said Mr Trump "does believe that", but offered no evidence to support the claim when pressed by reporters.
But Senator Lindsey Graham called the comments "inappropriate", adding that Mr Trump should "knock this off". Mr Trump has repeated his claim to explain why he lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton.
House Speaker Paul Ryan also said there was no evidence to support his claims. But any notion of widespread voter fraud has been widely rejected.
"I've seen no evidence to that effect. I've made that very, very clear," the Wisconsin Republican told reporters on Tuesday. "He continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him," Mr Spicer told reporters on Tuesday.
During a closed-doors meeting on Monday night, the Republican president regurgitated his incorrect claim that three to five million undocumented immigrants had illegally voted. Mr Spicer's comments came after the president regurgitated his incorrect claim to congressional leaders at a reception on Monday that three to five million undocumented immigrants had illegally voted in November's election.
Mr Trump, who first made the claim in a late November tweet, has never provided any evidence for the conspiracy theory.Mr Trump, who first made the claim in a late November tweet, has never provided any evidence for the conspiracy theory.
"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 tweeted at the time.
Trump claims millions voted illegally in presidential pollTrump claims millions voted illegally in presidential poll
Is there any evidence of illegal votes?
White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters on Tuesday the president continued to "maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him".
Mr Spicer was repeatedly pressed, but did not provide any further details.
The Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, received nearly three million votes more than Mr Trump, who won the presidency by prevailing in key swing states.The Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, received nearly three million votes more than Mr Trump, who won the presidency by prevailing in key swing states.
Any notion of widespread voter fraud was widely rejected as bogus when Mr Trump made the same claim in November. Is there any evidence of illegal votes?
Republicans admonished Mr Trump and urged him to drop the matter a day after the closed doors meeting with congressional leaders.
Senator Lindsey Graham called the comments "inappropriate", adding that Mr Trump should "knock this off".
Mr Graham, a South Carolina senator, rebuked Mr Trump for his comments, saying they were "the most inappropriate thing for the president to say without proof".Mr Graham, a South Carolina senator, rebuked Mr Trump for his comments, saying they were "the most inappropriate thing for the president to say without proof".
He continued that the president "seems to be obsessed with the idea that he could not have possibly lost the popular vote without cheating and fraud".He continued that the president "seems to be obsessed with the idea that he could not have possibly lost the popular vote without cheating and fraud".
"I would urge the president to knock this off," he added."I would urge the president to knock this off," he added.
House Speaker Paul Ryan also said there was no evidence to support his claims.
"I've seen no evidence to that effect. I've made that very, very clear," the Wisconsin Republican told reporters on Tuesday.
Republican Pennsylvania Representative Charlie Dent also weighed in, saying Mr Trump needed to move on and "get to the serious business of governing".Republican Pennsylvania Representative Charlie Dent also weighed in, saying Mr Trump needed to move on and "get to the serious business of governing".