Trump pushes baseless fraud claims and calls for protests

Jump to contentSign up to our newslettersSubscribeNewsSportsVoicesCultureLifestyleTravelPremiumClose’Get ready’: Trump says he will ‘very probably’ run again for president in 2024Donald Trump is pushing baseless claims of voter fraud and calling for his followers to protest before the midterm polls have even closed. The former president made his claims undermining the election results via Truth Social on Tuesday afternoon after turning out to vote in Palm Beach, Florida. Mr Trump spoke to reporters after casting his ballot, revealing that he voted to re-elect Governor Ron DeSantis – days after attacking him on the campaign trail.At his last rally before the midterms on Monday night in Ohio, Trump promised he will make a ‘big announcement’ on 15 November, setting the stage for another presidential campaign.But according to reports, he was originally planning to make the announcement last night – and was only talked out of it by Republican leaders panicked that he could turn Election Day into a referendum on him.Speaking at the rally, Mr Trump described Joe Biden as cognitively impaired and called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi an ‘animal’ for impeaching him twice ‘for nothing’.1667950849Former president Donald Trump continued his needling of his likely 2024 rival Ron DeSantis, telling Fox News that a run might hurt the Florida governor.Mr Trump spoke with Fox on his airplane for an exclusive interview and said that he had no ‘tiff’ with Mr DeSantis but said it would be a ‘mistake’ to run.’I don’t know if he is running. I think if he runs, he could hurt himself very badly. I really believe he could hurt himself badly,’ Mr Trump said. ‘I think he would be making a mistake, I think the base would not like it – I don’t think it would be good for the party.’Former president Donald Trump continued his needling of his likely 2024 rival Ron DeSantis, telling Fox News that a run might hurt the Florida governor. Oliver O’Connell8 November 2022 23:401667950249Donald Trump says on Newsmax that he likely won’t back Mitch McConnell for GOP Senate leader but ‘absolutely’ will support Kevin McCarthy in the House.Oliver O’Connell8 November 2022 23:301667948410The eyes of the world were on Ohio last night after the Trump camp began briefing the media that he might be about to formally announce his candidacy for the 2024 election, and members of his family travelled to be by his side for the final pre-election rally of the midterms season.In the event, however, Trump spoke for more than 90 minutes without confirming his third tilt at the presidency, stating only that a further ‘big announcement’ on the matter would be made from Mar-a-Lago on 15 November.So what happened? Well, according to several reports including from the Washington Post, the rumours that Trump was about to announce sparked a frenzy of calls from senior Republican party figures, all urging the former president to wait until after today’s election.Party leaders feared an announcement would serve only to boost Democrat turnout, jeopardising GOP chances in several knife-edge midterm races.This is not the line they reportedly used to convince Trump to hold off, however. Instead they appealed to his ego, suggesting that if he declared his candidacy on Monday night it would get buried in the election news cycle, and that waiting another week would get him the attention he craves.Megan Sheets8 November 2022 23:001667947249Oliver O’Connell8 November 2022 22:401667945475Oliver O’Connell8 November 2022 22:111667941210Trump’s turn at the Florida polls on Tuesday marked his second time voting in the Sunshine State, after he moved his registration from New York in 2019. Here are photos of the moment: Trump speaks to reporters after voting in the midterms in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday 8 NovemberTrump and Melania leave the polls in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday 8 November Trump speaks to reporters after voting in the midterms in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday 8 NovemberMegan Sheets8 November 2022 21:001667938816Donald Trump has called on his Truth Social followers to protest what he claims to be voter fraud unfolding at the polls. In a post on Tuesday afternoon, the president wrote: ‘The Absentee Ballot situation in Detroit is REALLY BAD. People are showing up to Vote only to be told, ‘sorry, you have already voted.’ This is happening in large numbers, elsewhere as well. Protest, Protest, Protest!’He wrote in a second post: ‘Maricopa County in Arizona looks like a complete Voter Integrity DISASTER. Likewise Detroit (of course!), Pennsylvania, and other places. Not being covered by the Fake News Media!’ The baseless claims of fraud came after ballot counting issues were reported in Maricopa County, Arizona. The Independent’s Graig Graziosi has more: Former President Donald Trump is spending election day trying to undermine Americans’ trust in the election process on Truth Social.Megan Sheets8 November 2022 20:201667937610In a piece analysing Donald Trump’s endorsement’s in this year’s midterms, The Independent’s John Bowden writes: ‘It seems like an almost comical question to ask: Does the quality of a candidate matter anymore?’Republicans seem eager to test the boundaries of electability this year. Where a typical midterm election would see a crop of ambitious GOP state-level officials making their first forays into national politics supported mostly by national Republicans and special interest groups, 2022 has instead seen the launch of Donald Trump’s effort to transform state governments as well as the national GOP House and Senate caucuses to mirror his image. A swath of disloyal, impeachment-supporting Republicans met their ends in primaries earlier this year, and now Mr Trump hopes to usher in his chosen loyalists into power this November.’But unfaltering loyalty to Mr Trump seems to have prevailed over traditional vetting procedures this time around, and as a result the GOP’s chances of breaking the Democratic Party’s Senate majority have wavered significantly while their opponents hungrily eye potential pickups in Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.’Republicans seem eager to test the boundaries of electability this year, John Bowden writes John Bowden8 November 2022 20:001667935810After casting his vote in Florida, Donald Trump unleashed a flurry of election-related posts on Truth Social. In one, he outlined all of the candidates he’s endorsed this election cycle, touting those endorsements as ‘TRUMP’S UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS’.He then wrote: ‘Reports are coming in from Arizona that the Voting Machines are not properly working in predominantly Republican/Conservative areas. Can this possibly be true when a vast majority of Republicans waited for today to Vote? Here we go again? The people will not stand for it!!!’In another post, the former president added: ‘EVERYBODY, GET OUT AND VOTE. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’Then came: ‘Pennsylvania just announced that it could take days to determine the winner. This is outrageous!’And finally, just before 2.30pm ET: ‘Another big voter tabulation problem in Arizona. Sound familiar???’Megan Sheets8 November 2022 19:301667934029Mr Trump, appearing at the event to boost Republican Senate candidate JD Vance, lashed out at Ms Pelosi less than two weeks after the Speaker’s husband Paul Pelosi was brutally assaulted in a politically-motivated attack in the couple’s San Francisco home.’Nancy Pelosi said please don’t call them animals, they’re human beings,’ Mr Trump said, referring to alleged members of the MS-13 gang. ‘I said no, they’re animals. Of course, I think she’s an animal, too, if you want to know the truth.’Former president lashes out at Speaker less than two weeks after her husband was brutally attacked in San Francisco Andrew Naughtie8 November 2022 19:00Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inRegistration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inDonald Trump speaks to reporters after casting his vote in the midterm elections on Tuesday 8 November in Palm Beach, FloridaREUTERSPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in