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Trump accuses Twitter of interfering in 2020 election

President Trump speaks to the press as he departs the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo: Mandel Ngan/Getty Images

President Trump responded via tweets Tuesday evening to Twitter fact-checking him for the first time on his earlier unsubstantiated posts claiming mail-in ballots in November's election would be fraudulent.

What he's saying: "Twitter is now interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election. They are saying my statement on Mail-In Ballots, which will lead to massive corruption and fraud, is incorrect, based on fact-checking by Fake News CNN and the Amazon Washington Post," the president tweeted. "Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen!"

Of note: Trump made the same claims on Facebook about vote-by-mail, which has not thus far been fact-checked.

  • A Facebook spokesperson told BuzzFeed: "We believe that people should be able to have a robust debate about the electoral process, which is why we have crafted our policies to focus on misrepresentations that would interfere with the vote."

The big picture: Trump and other Republicans have largely tried to push back on attempts by several states that sought early voting options in response to the pandemic.

  • Mail voting is "more vulnerable to fraud than voting in person," but it's still rare — as are all forms of voter fraud in the U.S., the New York Times notes.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer
Updated Sep 3, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Trump suggests people in N.C. vote twice to test mail-in system

President Trump makes a speech at the U.S.S. Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington, N.C. Photo: Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

President Trump suggested during a visit to North Carolina that people should vote once by mail and again in person during the election.

What he's saying: "Let them send it in and let them go vote, and if their system's as good as they say it is, then obviously they won’t be able to vote," he said. "If it isn't tabulated, they'll be able to vote. And that’s what they should do."

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Orion Rummler
Sep 3, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Russia likely to keep amplifying criticism of mail-in voting, DHS says

Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf testifies to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on August 6. Photo: Alex Wong/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security's intelligence branch warned law enforcement Thursday that it believes Russian-controlled social media trolls and state media are likely to continue trying to sow distrust in U.S. election results and mail-in ballots, ABC News first reported.

Why it matters: Americans are expected to vote by mail in record numbers in November's election due to the coronavirus pandemic, which means it may be days or weeks after election day before it's clear who won the presidency and down-ballot races.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Sep 3, 2020 - Politics & Policy

N.C. election board refutes Trump, reminds public voting twice is illegal

Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

North Carolina's election board on Thursday was compelled to remind residents that voting twice is a felony, after President Trump suggested that voters should vote once by mail and again in person on Election Day.

What they're saying: "Attempting to vote twice in an election or soliciting someone to do so also is a violation of North Carolina law," Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said in a statement.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow