Trump ratchets up ‘rigged election’ claims, which Pence downplays
Trump ratchets up ‘rigged election’ claims, which Pence downplays:- Donald Trump and his surrogates amplified their argument over the weekend that the election is “rigged,” leaving the Republican nominee more isolated as top members of the GOP — including his own running mate — declared their faith in the political system.
Trump opened Sunday with a series of tweets sowing doubt about the legitimacy of the election.
“The election is absolutely being rigged by the dishonest and distorted media pushing Crooked Hillary – but also at many polling places – SAD”
But Trump’s own vice presidential nominee, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, disagreed during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” saying he will accept the Election Day results.
“We will absolutely accept the result of the election,” he said. “Look, the American people will speak in an election that will culminate on November the 8. But the American people are tired of the obvious bias in the national media. That’s where the sense of a rigged election goes here, Chuck.”
That stood in contrast to Trump’s top surrogates. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed that Democrats could steal a close election by having dead people vote in inner cities.
“I’m sorry, dead people generally vote for Democrats rather than Republicans,” Giuliani told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.” “You want me to (say) that I think the election in Philadelphia and Chicago is going to be fair? I would have to be a moron to say that.”
And Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, on ABC’s “This Week” urged Trump voters to monitor polling stations.
“I remember when Richard Nixon had the election stolen in 1960, and no serious historian doubts that Illinois and Texas were stolen. So to suggest that, we have, you don’t have theft in Philadelphia is to deny reality,” Gingrich said.
The intensity surrounding the election is building in the final weeks of the race. In the evening, Trump — without evidence — blamed the firebombing of a North Carolina local GOP office on supporters of Hillary Clinton.
“Animals representing Hillary Clinton and Dems in North Carolina just firebombed our office in Orange County because we are winning @NCGOP,” Trump tweeted Sunday night.
For its part, the Clinton campaign quickly tweeted a note of sympathy.
“The attack on the Orange County HQ @NCGOP office is horrific and unacceptable. Very grateful that everyone is safe.”
Source:-Â http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/15/politics/donald-trump-rigged-election-hillary-clinton/index.html
