Republican President Nominee Donald Trump Campaigns In Battleground States Of Michigan And Pennsylvania

Despite expressing confidence in his ability to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump has been planting seeds of doubt about the election’s legitimacy, particularly in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state. With Election Day just days away, Trump has escalated his rhetoric, alleging widespread voter fraud and casting doubt on the integrity of the process.

This week, Trump held a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, claiming “some bad spots in Pennsylvania where some serious things have been caught or are in the process of being caught.” On social media, he alleged that York County received “THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT Voter Registration Forms and Mail-In Ballot Applications from a third party group,” and that Lancaster County had been “caught with 2600 Fake Ballots and Forms.” His campaign also filed a lawsuit against Bucks County, alleging they prevented Trump voters from submitting mail-in ballot applications. He declared on Truth Social, “Pennsylvania is cheating, and getting caught, at large scales rarely seen before.”

However, these claims lack factual basis. While York County officials confirmed receiving a suspicious delivery of election materials, including voter registration forms and mail-in ballot applications, they are investigating the matter rather than confirming fraud. Lancaster County officials also acknowledged “incidents of suspected voter registration fraud” likely stemming from a “large-scale canvassing operation,” but investigations are underway to determine the origin and intent. Election experts argue that these incidents actually demonstrate the effectiveness of Pennsylvania’s election process in preventing fraud. 

Tammy Patrick, director of the National Association of Elections Officials, stated, “The system is working in this case, because the registration applications that were submitted that were questionable were isolated and are being investigated.”

Bucks County officials have also refuted claims spread on social media that Trump supporters were denied the opportunity to apply for mail-in ballots on Tuesday. While they acknowledged a “miscommunication” earlier in the day, they explained that many voters believed they were in line to vote in person instead of applying for mail-in ballots. Videos circulating online show officials attempting to organize a long line and informing voters they wouldn’t be able to cast ballots, leading to confusion among some. These videos were shared by right-wing influencers, including Elon Musk, sparking online outrage. On Wednesday, a Pennsylvania court ruled in favor of Trump’s lawsuit, extending the deadline to apply for mail-in ballots in Bucks County until Friday.

Ian Sams, spokesperson for Harris’s campaign, mocked Trump’s cheating allegations on Wednesday, sharing a screenshot of one of his social media posts. Sams wrote, “This is not what someone posts if they are actually confident about their standing in Pennsylvania.” 

This escalating tension highlights the high stakes involved in the Pennsylvania race, which could ultimately decide the election. Trump and his allies are actively laying the groundwork to challenge the outcome should he lose, particularly in Pennsylvania. Current polls show Trump with a narrow lead of less than a half percentage point, with many experts asserting that winning Pennsylvania is crucial for him to secure the Electoral College.

In 2020, President Joe Biden narrowly won Pennsylvania by less than one percentage point. Pro-Trump organizations are pouring millions into the state to boost GOP turnout. In the final weeks before the election, Musk donated over $118 million to his political action committee, America PAC, to encourage Trump supporters to vote early in Pennsylvania.

This strategy represents a departure from Trump’s 2020 campaign, where he discouraged early voting and promoted voting on Election Day. This time, Trump’s campaign leaders have convinced him that discouraging early voting could be detrimental, as it allows the opposition to gain an advantage while discouraging his own supporters from voting. 

While the Trump camp has built an infrastructure to avoid repeating past mistakes, critics argue that his preemptive claims of “cheating” follow a familiar pattern. Veteran Republican strategist Whit Ayres commented, “This is simply a replay of 2016, when he said that Ted Cruz’s victory in the Iowa caucuses was due to fraud, and 2020 when he said that Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential race was due to fraud. It’s par for the course.”