Donald Trump is “inventing fraud” in California’s primary elections, and likely to ramp up unfounded allegations when more races go against him, pro-democracy experts have warned. The US president has repeatedly called California’s results into question as ballot-counting continues in the country’s most populous state. In the Los Angeles mayor’s race, Trump claimed it was “not possible” that former reality TV star and registered Republican Spencer Pratt could have lost, despite Los Angeles being a deeply liberal city.
Old Playbook, New Concerns
While Trump has used this playbook for years—from his loss at the Emmys as a reality TV star to his defeat in the 2020 presidential election—election integrity campaigners fear this time could be different. “California’s election is not the problem here,” said Omar Noureldin, senior vice-president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, a pro-democracy watchdog group. “The problem is that we have a president in the Oval Office who continues to lie and sow doubt over elections instead of facing accountability from voters.”
Trump’s recent outburst and abrupt exit during a Meet the Press interview showcased a feature of his approach when results don’t go his way: he quickly declares them rigged, rallying his supporters and rightwing media to spread similar messages. California is the latest—and largest—test of this technique in this election cycle.
Midterms as a Test Case
This year’s midterms will serve as an example of how the president will wield the federal government’s power at cities and states in a crusade to ensure his party maintains power. In contrast to 2020, when his false claims of voting fraud helped set the stage for an insurrection inside the Capitol after Joe Biden’s presidential election victory, Trump now has an administration stocked with loyalists—and election deniers—who may not stand up to an attempt to undermine election results.
Other Key Developments
- House Republicans approve $70bn bill for Trump’s immigration crackdown: House Republicans on Tuesday approved a $70bn bill funding agencies leading Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, ending a months-long standoff with Democrats that at one point forced the Department of Homeland Security to shutter.
- Trump launches strikes against Iran: The US has launched “self-defense strikes” against Iran after Trump blamed Tehran for downing a US army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, imperilling a shaky ceasefire announced in April.
- Hard-right groups expand influence: A new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center finds hard-right groups have increasingly expanded their influence across the US government, which is pursuing a federal fraud case into the civil rights organization.
- Trump meets House speaker: Trump met with House Speaker Mike Johnson at the White House as pressure mounts to nominate a permanent director of national intelligence to save a controversial surveillance law before it expires.
- Jeffrey Epstein’s assistant testifies: Lesley Groff, Epstein’s longtime executive assistant, testified before the House oversight committee as lawmakers continue their investigation into the late convicted sex offender.
- JD Vance requests DOJ investigation: The US vice-president asked the Department of Justice to investigate Tim Walz, his 2024 election rival, after a congressional report renewed allegations of inaction over fraud schemes in Minnesota.
- Seattle bans new datacenters: Seattle passed a year-long moratorium on new datacenter construction, with the city council voting unanimously in favor of the temporary ban.
- White House urges UK against social media ban: The White House urged the UK not to impose a social media ban for under-16s, saying restrictions could burden US tech firms disproportionately.
- World Cup labor disputes loom: Hospitality and food service workers in US cities hosting World Cup games warn of possible strikes as the tournament kicks off on 11 June.
- Heat-related hospitalizations to double: A new study finds that the coming 15 years could see a doubling in hospitalizations due to heat-related illnesses, with the US poised for another summer of ferocious heat.
