Obama Slams Trump’s “Whining” About Rigged Election

“It happens to be based on no facts.”


President Barack Obama denounced Donald Trump’s warnings that the general election may be rigged against him and suggested the Republican nominee “stop whining” and instead focus on making “his case to get votes.”

“I have never seen in my lifetime, or in modern political history, any presidential candidate trying to discredit the elections and the election process before votes have even taken place,” Obama said at a press conference from the Rose Garden. “It’s unprecedented. It happens to be based on no facts.”

The president’s sharp criticism follows repeated claims by Trump that the election on November 8 may have already been stolen from him. The real estate magnate has consistently floated theories about media coordination with the Clinton campaign and widespread voter fraud, while Clinton’s lead has widened and new controversies hit his presidential campaign.

Trump’s remarks have suggested that he may be planning to contest the results if Hillary Clinton wins. His running mate, however, has promised the Republican ticket will “absolutely” accept the outcome of the election.

DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do things differently in the aftermath of a political crisis: Watergate. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after, and go deep on, stories others don’t. And we’re a nonprofit newsroom because we knew corporations and billionaires would never fund the journalism we do. Our reporting makes a difference in policies and people’s lives changed.

And we need your support like never before to vigorously fight back against the existential threats American democracy and journalism face. We’re running behind our online fundraising targets and urgently need all hands on deck right now. We can’t afford to come up short—we have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

Please help with a donation today if you can—even just a few bucks helps. Not ready to donate but interested in our work? Sign up for our Daily newsletter to stay well-informed—and see what makes our people-powered, not profit-driven, journalism special.

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