The president is not the biggest fan of having more mail-in voting, despite casting his own vote the same way in March.
Asked about his criticism of mail-in voting at Tuesday’s White House press briefing, Trump told reporters, “I think mail-in voting is horrible, it’s corrupt.”
When pressed on how he voted in Florida’s Republican primary last month, Trump noted he did vote by mail because he is “allowed to.” He also stressed the difference of voting by mail out of state versus mail-in voting while living in state.
“You know why I voted? Because I happen to be in the White House and I won’t be able to go to Florida to vote,” Trump explained.
He continued, “Well, there’s a big difference between somebody that’s out of state and does a ballot and everything’s sealed, certified and everything else. You see what you have to do with the certifications.”
The president then claimed there could be “thousands of people sitting in somebody’s living room signing ballots” if there were more mail-in voting.
“No, I think mail-in voting is a terrible thing. I think if you vote, you should go.”
Check out his comments below:
President Trump: "I think mail-in voting is horrible, it's corrupt."
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 7, 2020
Reporter: "You voted by mail in Florida's election last month, didn't you?"
Trump: "Sure. I can vote by mail"
Reporter: "How do you reconcile with that?"
Trump: "Because I'm allowed to." pic.twitter.com/Es8ZNyB3O1
While Trump has suggested that voting by mail in the November election could hurt the Republican Party, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has pushed for mail-in voting.
There was $400 million in the last stimulus package signed by Trump to help with voting by mail and early voting. However, Pelosi is pushing for more funds in the fourth stimulus package for this.
Trump’s comments on Tuesday came as voters in Wisconsin headed to the polls to cast their votes in the primary amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The move to continue with the election on Tuesday was met with opposition, including from Pelosi, who suggested Wisconsin’s Supreme Court was “undermining our democracy.”
Additionally, 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders said, “Let’s be clear: holding this election amid the coronavirus outbreak is dangerous, disregards the guidance of public health experts, and may very well prove deadly.”
One Wisconsin voter told NBC News on the state pushing forward with its primary Tuesday, “This is so wrong, this is just so wrong. This election should have been called off… They are playing politics with our lives.”
However, the state’s Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) defended holding the primary election — while dressed head-to-toe in protective gear — as he told reporters, “It is no guarantee that in May or June we’re gonna be safer,” as IJR reported.
