President Donald Trump accused Democrats of attempting to “STEAL” two high-profile California primary races Wednesday, raising concerns about the ongoing vote count as election officials continued processing mail-in and drop-off ballots across the state.
The president made the allegations in a pair of early morning posts on Truth Social, where he pointed to what he described as a surge of late-arriving mail ballots in closely watched contests for California governor and Los Angeles mayor.
Posting shortly after 1 a.m. Eastern Time, Trump argued that the continued counting of ballots was benefiting Democratic candidates and echoed criticisms he has repeatedly raised regarding election administration and mail voting.
“The Dumocrats are at it again!” Trump wrote. “They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS.”
The president did not provide evidence to support the claim.
In a subsequent message, Trump intensified his criticism, alleging there was “BIG cheating” taking place and suggesting the situation was being reviewed by federal authorities.
“There’s BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California,” Trump wrote. “Votes are all tied up. May not be in for weeks. Under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Why the vote counting DELAY??? President DJT.”
At the time of his posts, it was not immediately clear what investigation the president was referencing, nor had any formal federal inquiry been publicly announced.
The remarks quickly drew a response from the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. In a social media post, Newsom’s press office sharply rejected Trump’s allegations and accused the president of spreading false claims about the state’s election process.
The exchange highlighted the increasingly heated political atmosphere surrounding election administration, particularly in closely contested races where ballot counting can continue for days after Election Day.
The allegations surfaced as officials across California continued tallying votes under the state’s open primary system. Under that system, the top two finishers advance to a runoff election regardless of party affiliation.
In the race for governor, Republican Steve Hilton held the lead with approximately 28 percent of the vote after more than half of ballots had been counted. Democrat Xavier Becerra occupied second place, while Democrat Tom Steyer remained close enough that additional ballots could still alter the standings.
The Los Angeles mayoral contest was similarly competitive. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass had already secured a spot in the runoff, but the battle for the second runoff position remained unsettled.
Republican candidate and former reality television personality Spencer Pratt maintained a shrinking advantage over progressive Democrat Nithya Raman as election officials worked through the remaining ballots.
Election analysts cautioned that outstanding ballots could still significantly affect both races, underscoring why officials have continued counting votes in the days following the primary.
The ongoing uncertainty has left both contests under close scrutiny as candidates and voters await final results. While Trump has framed the delayed count as a cause for concern, election officials continued the standard ballot-counting process required under California law.
With major statewide and local races still hanging in the balance, attention remains focused on the remaining ballots and whether they will reshape the outcomes of two of California’s most closely watched primary elections.
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