President Donald Trump on Thursday accused California Democrats of attempting to manipulate election outcomes through the state’s mail-in voting system, warning that Republicans must act swiftly to pass his proposed election-integrity legislation, the SAVE AMERICA Act.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump declared: “Look what’s happening in California, the Dumocrats, right before our very eyes, are stealing the Vote.” He added, “I hope the Republicans are watching so that they can finally pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!”
The president’s comments came as vote counting continued for California primary elections, including contests for governor and Los Angeles mayor. Trump alleged Democrats were benefiting from large numbers of mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day.
In another Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “The Dumocrats are at it again! They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES.”
Trump also questioned the ongoing nature of vote counting days after the election, stating: “Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS.”
In a third post, Trump alleged widespread election misconduct and referenced an investigation by federal authorities. He wrote: “There’s BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California. Votes are all tied up. May not be in for weeks. Under investigation by the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Why the vote counting DELAY???”
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office dismissed Trump’s claims, posting on X that the president was “lying about California again.”
Under California law, mail-in ballots remain valid if postmarked by Election Day and received by county officials within the state’s legal deadline. Vote counting continues during a canvass period lasting weeks before results are finalized.
Trump has used this controversy to renew his push for passage of the SAVE AMERICA Act—a package of election and social-policy reforms he claims would strengthen election integrity and protect American values. The proposal requires photo identification for all voters, proof of U.S. citizenship prior to voting, restricts mail-in voting to those who are ill, disabled, serving in the military, or traveling, and prohibits biological males from competing in women’s sports while banning transgender surgeries for minors.
Election integrity has long been a central issue for Trump and many Republicans, who argue voter ID requirements, citizenship verification, and limits on mail-in voting are necessary to restore public confidence in elections. Trump recently declared: “THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!” outlining what he described as common-sense reforms that Republicans should prioritize amid ongoing debate over California’s vote-counting process.
