WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that his public criticism of California election officials helped accelerate the certification of Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton’s advancement to the general election, though he offered no evidence to support allegations of voter fraud or election misconduct.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he began publicly criticizing California officials after vote counting in the state’s June primary continued for several days. Trump asserted that election officials moved more quickly to confirm Hilton’s second-place finish because of public pressure generated by his comments.
“And they approved Steve Hilton very quickly,” Trump said. “There was too much heat on them.”
Hilton, a former Fox News host backed by Trump, officially advanced to the November gubernatorial election after finishing second in California’s top-two primary system behind former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Trump and several allies have repeatedly suggested that delays in California vote counting indicate election problems or fraud. However, state election officials and independent election experts have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the race.
California has long taken more time than many states to finalize election results because of its mail ballot procedures. State law allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive after voting concludes and still be counted if received within the required timeframe. Officials also conduct signature verification and ballot validation procedures before results are certified.
Before the election, California officials publicly warned that final vote totals could take days or weeks to complete because of the state’s ballot processing rules. Similar timelines have occurred in previous California elections under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
No evidence has emerged showing that vote counting delays affected the outcome of the gubernatorial primary or that election officials altered procedures in response to Trump’s criticism.
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