Trump: Extensive Investigations Will Be Conducted Regarding Election Fraud Possibilities

On Wednesday, February 25, Donald Trump stated that extensive investigations would be launched regarding claims of fraud in the presidential election. The vast majority of federal and state officials, election experts, and politicians believe that election fraud in the United States is very rare. Meanwhile, results from a 2012 Pew Research study indicate that nearly 1.8 million deceased citizens' names remained on voter rolls. Mr. Trump tweeted: 'I will call for extensive investigations into voter fraud, including those who are registered in two states, those who are illegal, and even eligible voters who are dead (and many of them have been dead for a long time). We will strengthen voting regulations and procedures based on our findings.' Mr. Trump, who has vehemently challenged Hillary Clinton's higher vote count, has not provided further details beyond his two tweets. He has yet to present any evidence to support his claims of election fraud. Federal and state officials say they found no signs of widespread fraud in the November 8 election, nor has there been any case in the history of U.S. elections. Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House and the highest-ranking Republican politician in Congress, reiterated on Tuesday that he has also seen no evidence to support claims of fraud. Donald Trump won due to receiving more electoral college votes, while Hillary Clinton received 2.9 million more direct votes from the public than Mr. Trump. The discrepancy in direct votes and allegations of Russian government interference in the election in Trump's favor have led to criticisms from his opponents, who consider Trump's victory illegitimate. Reuters adds that before this announcement in Trump's tweet, the White House spokesperson stated in a press conference on Tuesday that the new president still believes that millions of illegal immigrants voted in this election, without providing any evidence for this claim. The federal investigation into voter fraud in the U.S. is unprecedented. A five-year investigation by the George W. Bush administration found no evidence and ultimately led to resignations and further investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, which is responsible for enforcing federal voting laws. Jeff Sessions, a Republican senator and Trump's nominee for Attorney General, has faced criticism for his views on citizens' voting rights and racial relations. In 1986, while serving as Attorney General of Alabama, he initiated a case regarding voter fraud that ultimately led to his disqualification from becoming a state judge. A research report published in 2007 by the Brennan Center titled 'The Truth About Voter Fraud' stated that the rate of fraud in votes is between 0.00004% and 0.0009%. Research from Arizona State University also indicated a very negligible and similar rate of voter fraud in 2012 and 2016. In this context, Trump's increasing attacks on the media and renewed allegations of 'fraud' in the elections are notable. Trump stated: 'I will accept the outcome of the election if I win.' He also claimed: 'If millions of illegal votes are deducted, my public votes are higher.'