Trump: Democrats Sabotaged Voting Fraud Panel
Critics have forcefully disputed Trump’s assertions, however

President Donald Trump is blaming his failed election fraud commission on Democratic-controlled state governments, and pushing an identification-based voting system from coast to coast.
After another wild day of Trump’s presidency, the White House on Wednesday night announced he had signed an executive order terminating the election fraud commission he established last year. In a statement, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders blamed states for refusing to hand over data requested by the special panel.
“Rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, today I signed an executive order to dissolve the Commission, and have asked the Department of Homeland Security to review these issues and determine next courses of action,” Sanders said.
[Trump Terminates Election Fraud Commission]
Fifteen states reportedly refused to give the voter fraud panel information it requested, frustrating the president and its leaders, Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. On Thursday, the president fired off a tweet shortly after 6 a.m. saying “many” of the noncompliant states are ones run by Democrats.
“They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally,” Trump wrote before making his pitch for an electoral system overhaul, complete with one of his 2016 campaign themes: “System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.”
Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018
In a follow-on tweet, the president, who typically starts his days watching “Fox & Friends” on the Fox News Channel, used rhetoric often employed by conservative activists and commentators. He wrote that Americans need ID “sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do” — except voting. He then urged his 45.9 million followers to press for stronger voter ID laws.
As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do…..except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018
The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity was created in May, when Trump signed another executive order. He charged the commission with investigating his own allegations of voter fraud.
Trump claimed 3 million to 5 million people voted illegally in the election that brought him to the White House thanks to an Electoral College win. Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton led by nearly 3 million in the popular vote.
Critics have forcefully disputed Trump’s assertions.
In June, the commission had sent out letters to all 50 states and the District of Columbia seeking information on voters, including names, addresses, birth dates, partial Social Security numbers and voting records.