Authorities in Philadelphia debunk Donald Trump’s claim about ‘massive cheating’ in polls
Donald Trump has accused Philadelphia of electoral fraud amid the 2024 United States presidential election. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The countdown to announce the 2024 United States presidential election winner is on, and Donald Trump has already accused the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of electoral fraud.
Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, the Republican presidential nominee alleged that “law enforcement [are] coming” for the state’s largest city, despite not providing further details or evidence.
He wrote on the site, appearing to refer to the United States presidential election: “A lot of talk about massive cheating in Philadelphia. Law enforcement coming!!!”
However, authorities in the city debunked Trump’s claim about electoral fraud, with The Philadelphia Police Department telling BBC Verify that “there is no factual basis whatsoever within law enforcement” to support his “wild” allegations.
Furthermore, the Republican City Commissioner in Philadelphia, Seth Bluestein, posted on X: “There is absolutely no truth to this allegation. It is yet another example of disinformation. Voting in Philadelphia has been safe and secure.”
He added: “We have been in regular contact with the RNC [Republican National Committee]. We have been responsive to every report of irregularities at the polls to ensure Philadelphians can vote safely and securely.”
Polls in the state closed at 8 p.m. EST, and it may take a minimum of 24 hours for enough votes to be counted to determine a winner. Voters in the state voted for Trump in 2016, but swung back to the left in 2020 and voted for Joe Biden in the previous election.
The state is considered an anchor of the “Blue Wall,” which refers to a collection of states that unwaveringly voted Democrat in recent presidential elections until 2012. Former President Trump flipped three of the blue wall states in 2016, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
The three states make up 44 electoral votes, which is a large percentage of the 93 electoral votes in the seven battleground states. These also include Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina, and could potentially swing the 2024 United States presidential election results.
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