Trump: End Florida Recount

President asserts that ballots are 'massively infected'
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 12, 2018 9:30 AM CST
Trump: End Florida Recount
President Trump points to the media as he speaks during a campaign rally in Charlotte, NC.   (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

President Trump on Monday stepped up his criticism of the Florida recount now underway in two big national races: In fact, he called for the recount to be scrapped. In a morning tweet, Trump said that Republicans Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott should be declared the winners of the gubernatorial and Senate races, respectively, because they had been leading on election night. "The Florida Election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged," wrote Trump. "An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!"

As NBC News notes, Trump did not offer evidence for his allegations of fraud. He, Scott, and other Republicans have accused Democrats of trying to "steal" the elections, and Scott is seeking to have ballots and voting machines impounded in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Both races were within half a percentage point, the margin that triggers a machine recount in the state. Hand recounts would follow if the machine recounts yield results within a quarter percentage point, per the Washington Post. (Palm Beach election officials don't think they can finish the recount by the deadline of Thursday.)

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