An incredulous President Barack Obama called Donald Trump’s claims that the upcoming election could be rigged “ridiculous” and said he’s never heard “someone complain about being cheated before the game was over.”
“I don’t even really know where to start in answering this question. Of course the election will not be rigged. What does that mean?” Obama told reporters Thursday after being asked if he could assure voters the upcoming presidential election will be fair.
The president pointed to the fact that states, not the federal government, are charged with administering elections. The federal government's involvement is limited to making sure voting rights are protected.
Trump has alleged on the campaign trail that his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton may be unfair. The Republican presidential nominee has accused Democrats of rigging the primary to help Clinton defeat Bernie Sanders.
"If Mr. Trump is up 10 to 15 points on Election Day and ends up losing, then he can raise some questions,” Obama added.
A number of recent national and state surveys have shown Trump’s poll numbers slumping after a tumultuous few weeks since the Republican National Convention. A newly released NBC News/Wall Street Journal national poll shows Clinton with a nine point lead.
“Sometimes, if folks lose, they start complaining that they got cheated,” Obama said. “But I’ve never heard of someone complain about being cheated before the game was over.”
