- Title: White House says Trump stands by voter fraud belief, offers no evidence
- Date: 24th January 2017
- Summary: YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 8, 2016) (REUTERS) WIDE OF VOTING BOOTHS CLOSE OF VOTER'S FACE
- Embargoed: 7th February 2017 20:05
- Keywords: Sean Spicer James Comey FBI Donald Trump White House
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., AND YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., AND YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00260FYN2F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:President Donald Trump stands by his belief that millions of people voted illegally in the U.S. election, the White House said on Tuesday (January 24) but it offered no evidence to support the contention.
"It's a belief he maintains," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters. Spicer referenced a 2008 report from the Pew Research center and said, "there's other studies that have been presented to him."
Republican Trump won in the Electoral College that decides the presidency, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome, but he lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by about 2.9 million.
Trump has repeatedly stated he would have won the popular vote were it not for millions of people voting illegally, but electoral experts, including state officials, have said there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Spicer side-stepped repeated questions to be more specific about why Trump continues to insist there was widespread fraud. "He was having a discussion with some folks and mentioned something in passing which has been a longstanding belief that he's maintained," he said. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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