Repeatedly, throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump claimed that the 2016 election was “absolutely being rigged.” Not only in the sense of an allegedly distorted media narrative, “but also at many polling places.” He specifically claimed, for example, that there was “large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day.” The assertions persisted after the election, not merely from a candidate but from the President-Elect and then President of the United States. He stated that there was “serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California” (all states in which he did not prevail). He further stated that he lost the popular vote only because 3-5 million people “voted illegally.” State and local officials actually supervising the election process have, in bipartisan fashion, consistently rebutted these claims. In litigation over recount proceedings, the President’s own attorneys consistently rebutted these claims.
And despite repeated requests from officials, nonprofit organizations, and reporters, President Trump has offered absolutely no credible evidence to substantiate his assertions. As White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has explained, the source is simply “a longstanding belief” the President “continues to maintain.” This belief appears to be an article of faith, rather than a hypothesis. Thus far, it has been impervious to fact.
Yesterday, President Trump took action based on his belief, directing federal resources to follow the path blazed by his earlier assertions. He signed an executive order widely reported as creating a Commission to investigate the extent of voter fraud.
The Commission is to be led by Vice President Pence and co-chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Kobach has also frequently promulgated exaggerated claims of widespread voter fraud, including the assertion that there were “probably in excess of a million” fraudulent votes in the 2016 election. Indeed, Kobach specifically backfilled President Trump’s specific target number, claiming that projections from a thoroughly debunked statistical analysis would support the notion that “in excess of 3 million aliens” are voting in American elections.
Full Article: The Commission to Round Up the Usual Suspects | Take Care.