Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Sunday on Twitter, President-elect Donald Trump alleged that there was "serious"
Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn't the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2016
. He went on to ask, "why isn't the media reporting on this?"
Well, because, for California at least, there was none to speak of, according to the secretary of state.
Trump took to Twitter to blast efforts by the Green Party to recount votes in Wisconsin. The Clinton campaign announced its plans to participate in the process to ensure the recount "proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides."
In an interview with Take Two's A Martinez, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla minced no words when asked about claims of voter fraud in the state:
"The answer is absolutely not," Padilla said.
The Secretary calls the allegations "frustrating" and says that both he and his office went out of their way to let voters know in the weeks leading up to the election that "rigging" was impossible in the state. Padilla went on to issue a challenge to the president-elect.
"If he has evidence to back up his claim, then bring it, because we do take voter fraud seriously... we pride ourselves on free and fair elections, and the results are the results," Padilla said.
Ballots are still being counted, but Padilla says that, at last check, Hillary Clinton won California by more than 3 million votes.
"Clearly, she won big in California," he said.
Prior to alleging voter fraud, President-elect Trump also claimed that, in addition to winning the Electoral College, he would have also won the popular vote —
In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016
Louis DeSipio, professor of political science and Chicano Studies at UC Irvine, says the motivation behind this assertion may be rooted in pride.
"I think his ego is bruised by the fact that he lost the popular vote," DeSipio said. "Picking on immigrants and asserting that they're massively violating the U.S. law, I think, echoes the rhetoric of his campaign when he demonized immigrants for all kinds of things. Now, he's demonizing them for his losing the [popular vote]."
Press the blue play button above to hear the full interview.