On Tuesday, President Trump indicated he might pursue legal action regarding mail-in ballots in California and criticized the state’s redistricting attempts.
He stated, “California’s unconstitutional redistricting vote is a huge fraud in that the entire process, especially the vote itself, was rigged.” He expressed this view on Truth Social, adding, “All ‘mail-in’ votes from which Republicans are ‘locked out’ in that state are subject to very strict legal and criminal scrutiny. Attention!”
The Hill has sought clarification from the White House regarding these comments.
Voters in California are set to vote on Tuesday regarding Proposition 50, which pertains to the state’s redistricting plan. If passed, recent polls indicate it could give Democrats an additional five seats in the House, despite already holding a supermajority in the state.
If Proposition 50 fails, the congressional districts will not be updated until after the 2030 census.
Trump has consistently voiced concerns about mail-in voting, often using unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud as a basis. He previously attributed his loss in the 2020 election to the increase in mail-in voting due to the pandemic.
During his time in office, Trump signed an executive order requiring Attorney General Pam Bondi to target states that count absentee and mail-in ballots received after Election Day. Most states consider ballots valid if postmarked by that day. Non-compliance could lead to cuts in federal funding.
In August, Trump hinted at issuing an executive order to abolish mail-in voting and “deeply controversial” voting machines. The following month, he linked his decision to relocate Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama, to Colorado’s mail-in voting policies.
Trump remarked, “The problem I have with Colorado, one of the big problems, is that Colorado votes by mail. They vote all by mail. So they automatically skewed the election. And we can’t do that. If a state supports mail-in voting, that means they want a fraudulent election, because that’s what it means.”
He has characterized Colorado’s voting system as “very corrupt.”
