WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday stuck firmly to President Donald Trump’s claim that millions of people voted illegally in the November election, but provided no evidence to back up his assertion.
Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said the president “does believe” that he lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton only because of widespread illegal ballots.
“He believes what he believes, based on the information he was provided,” Spicer said. But he would not detail what information he was referring to, citing only a 2008 study that called for updating voter rolls but did not conclude there has been pervasive election fraud.
Spicer, who spent several years at the Republican National Committee before joining the White House, would not say whether he shared the president’s belief. He also sidestepped questions about whether the White House would investigate the voter fraud allegations, saying only, “Anything is possible.”
Trump first raised the prospect of illegal voting during the transition. Then, during a reception with lawmakers at the White House Monday evening, he again claimed that he’d lost the popular vote because 3 million to 5 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally had voted. That’s according to a Democratic aide familiar with the exchange who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.
