Trump encourages early voting among supporters despite his ongoing criticisms of the process
In Pennsylvania, voters will begin to cast their ballots in just a few weeks.
TroibNews 
Donald Trump urged voters in Pennsylvania on Monday to participate in early voting, which he described as crucial for the swing state. However, he soon contradicted himself.
Early voting is “stupid,” Trump asserted, even if its usage might benefit him given that polls indicate a tight race with Vice President Kamala Harris. During his speech in Indiana, Penn., he said, “We’re here today because early voting begins in Pennsylvania over the next two weeks, and we need each and every one of you to go out. Just don’t take anything for granted.”
His conflicting views on early voting, a method increasingly adopted by many Republicans, reflect his longstanding belief that it is susceptible to fraud, a sentiment he claims contributed to his loss in the 2020 election.
Shortly after his call for early voting, he reiterated his unfounded allegations of fraud related to the 2020 election, stating, “What happened the last time was disgraceful.”
Trump has been known for deviating from his scripted remarks and has heighten concerns about the legitimacy of mail-in and early voting as Election Day approaches. He has raised doubts about the United States Postal Service's capacity to manage a significant influx of mail ballots, amplifying his rhetoric regarding possible election fraud.
Despite Trump's ongoing criticism of early voting, his campaign and the Republican National Committee continue to encourage voters to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. His running mate, Sen. JD Vance, has actively promoted early voting in his campaign events. RNC Chair Michael Whatley has also advocated for early voting while traveling the country to recruit poll monitors and workers as part of the party’s “Protect Your Vote” initiative.
Vance remarked earlier Monday in North Carolina, “We have got three ways to vote now: Early voting, vote by mail and voting on Election Day. And look, I am a firm believer that we ought to have Election Day in this country and not election season, but we are where we are. So we’ve got to take advantage of all these pathways to vote.”
Moreover, Trump’s campaign and the RNC launched an online tool in late August to assist Pennsylvania voters in requesting mail-in ballots, promising to enhance the security of the process.
Current polling averages indicate a closely contested race between Trump and Harris in a vital swing state that was pivotal to Trump's 2016 victory but turned against him in 2020.
“We have to win Pennsylvania,” he stated on Monday night. Yet, in a twist that undermined his own message, Trump later claimed that he could reclaim the White House without needing to win Pennsylvania, so long as he secured blue-leaning Virginia, which his campaign does not categorize as a core battleground state, despite polls showing him trailing his Democratic opponent there.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
Early voting is “stupid,” Trump asserted, even if its usage might benefit him given that polls indicate a tight race with Vice President Kamala Harris. During his speech in Indiana, Penn., he said, “We’re here today because early voting begins in Pennsylvania over the next two weeks, and we need each and every one of you to go out. Just don’t take anything for granted.”
His conflicting views on early voting, a method increasingly adopted by many Republicans, reflect his longstanding belief that it is susceptible to fraud, a sentiment he claims contributed to his loss in the 2020 election.
Shortly after his call for early voting, he reiterated his unfounded allegations of fraud related to the 2020 election, stating, “What happened the last time was disgraceful.”
Trump has been known for deviating from his scripted remarks and has heighten concerns about the legitimacy of mail-in and early voting as Election Day approaches. He has raised doubts about the United States Postal Service's capacity to manage a significant influx of mail ballots, amplifying his rhetoric regarding possible election fraud.
Despite Trump's ongoing criticism of early voting, his campaign and the Republican National Committee continue to encourage voters to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. His running mate, Sen. JD Vance, has actively promoted early voting in his campaign events. RNC Chair Michael Whatley has also advocated for early voting while traveling the country to recruit poll monitors and workers as part of the party’s “Protect Your Vote” initiative.
Vance remarked earlier Monday in North Carolina, “We have got three ways to vote now: Early voting, vote by mail and voting on Election Day. And look, I am a firm believer that we ought to have Election Day in this country and not election season, but we are where we are. So we’ve got to take advantage of all these pathways to vote.”
Moreover, Trump’s campaign and the RNC launched an online tool in late August to assist Pennsylvania voters in requesting mail-in ballots, promising to enhance the security of the process.
Current polling averages indicate a closely contested race between Trump and Harris in a vital swing state that was pivotal to Trump's 2016 victory but turned against him in 2020.
“We have to win Pennsylvania,” he stated on Monday night. Yet, in a twist that undermined his own message, Trump later claimed that he could reclaim the White House without needing to win Pennsylvania, so long as he secured blue-leaning Virginia, which his campaign does not categorize as a core battleground state, despite polls showing him trailing his Democratic opponent there.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
