Former President Donald Trump, who has persistently alleged election fraud since the 2020 U.S. presidential election, continued to make similar claims on the day of the 2024 election.
Trump, the Republican candidate, posted a brief message on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Tuesday afternoon. Targeting the battleground state of Pennsylvania, he wrote, “There are a lot of stories about massive fraud in Philadelphia. Law enforcement is on its way.” Approximately 30 minutes later, he posted again, “Philadelphia and Detroit! Law enforcement is gathering!”
Pennsylvania and Michigan are critical swing states in this election, with 19 and 15 electoral votes, respectively. Trump must secure these regions to win the election. Up until the voting began, Trump continued to allege election manipulation by the Democratic administration. In response, Seth Bluestein, a Philadelphia City Election Commission supervisor, told AFP that Trump’s claims are “absolutely false,” asserting that “voting in Philadelphia is secure.”
Trump, a Florida resident, expressed confidence in his victory after voting at a West Palm Beach polling station, stating, “I feel very confident,” and adding, “I believe we will achieve a significant victory today.” Participating in his third presidential election, Trump claimed, “I performed great in the first election (2016), and even better in the second (2020), but something occurred,” insinuating irregularities in his 2020 defeat. When asked if he would accept the outcome if he lost, he responded, “If it’s a fair election.”
