Tuesday, amid making dumbfounding statements regarding a person’s choice between an iPhone and health coverage, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz told CNN’s “New Day” that the House will not investigate the President’s accusations of voter fraud from the November elections.
In January, Trump tweeted that he was asking for lawmakers to consider his claims that between three and five million votes were cast fraudulently. Over two tweets, Trump said, “I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and…. even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!”
I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017
even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer continued to back up that claim whenever asked by reporters. Last month, in response to the President’s tweets, Spicer told the press that “studies and evidence that people have presented” to Trump support his claims.
However, Chaffetz says claims cannot be backed up. “The president said that he thought there was ‘widespread voter fraud.’ I don’t see any evidence of that. We’re not doing an investigation of that.”
Several states conducted their own investigations into the President’s accusations, also finding little evidence that widespread fraud took place in the November elections. The Hill wrote on Monday of some fraudulent ballots being found, but ultimately investigations “suggest that a few hundred people at most broke voting rules.”
Despite the evidence that very few improper votes were found, some are still calling for action to discourage people from casting illegal ballots. Republican Kris Kobach, Kansas’ Secretary of State, who has met with Trump regarding voter fraud, still believes that millions of illegal votes were cast. Kobach told The Hill:
“Evidence is already emerging of voter fraud in the 2016 election, but it takes time to collect the evidence and do the research.”
Time and time again, we have seen that Trump’s ego won’t allow him to act in a practical manner. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote and somehow the President thinks he has to prove otherwise. This is a battle that he doesn’t have to win, he is legally our President, but his immaturity won’t allow him to let the issue die. When he acts like this, it is hard to imagine that he will act any differently when confronted with more serious issues facing our country.