‘He Believes What He Believes’
President Donald Trump late Monday afternoon told top congressional leaders that he would have won the popular vote if it were not for the 3 – 5 million votes that were cast illegally. It is a lie, and one that Trump had claimed in the days and weeks after the election, even taking to Twitter to post his false claim.
Were it true, Americans would and should demand an immediate investigation into historic voter fraud of unprecedented levels, so at the White House press briefing minutes ago, Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked just that.
Spicer told reporters that President Donald Trump absolutely believes that 3 – 5 million votes were illegally cast, costing him the popular vote. “It’s a belief he maintains,” Spicer said. He cited “studies and evidence people have presented to him,” and when pressed, mentioned a Pew study from “2008 that showed 14 percent of people who have voted were non-citizens,” Spicer claimed. He is wholly incorrect.
There is no Pew study from 2008 that says that at all. There is a 2012 Pew study but it does not support the President’s claims at all. Even the study’s author says Trump is wrong:
Spicer was repeatedly press by reporters demanding to know why, given this monumental episode of voter fraud, the president isn’t demanding an investigation.
Spicer wasn’t able to offer a sufficient explanation, except to claim the president is comfortable with his win.Â
That too, is false.
Later in the briefing, CNN’s Jeff Zelany pointed out that Spicer worked at the RNC before coming to the White House, and asked him if he believed Trump’s voter fraud claims. Spicer refused to answer, stating, “my job is not –”
Zelany pressed, asking, “What does that mean for democracy?”
Spicer couldn’t answer.
Later, MSNBC’s Ari Melber pointed out that Spicer has just “made a bad problem worse,” because he is not Trump’s spokesperson, he is the White House spokesperson, and he represents the American people, not Donald Trump.Â
This may force a DOJ investigation.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE: