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The White House is struggling to explain a recent comment made by President Donald Trump as part of his administration's smear campaign against mail-in voting, which is expected to be the preferred method for an unprecedented number of voters in light of the pandemic that's killed over 200 thousand Americans.
Before departing for Marine One, Trump spoke with the press where he claimed that pro-Trump ballots were found tossed in a river.
Trump said:
"It was reported in one of the newspapers that they found a lot of ballots in a river. They throw them out if they have the name 'Trump' on it, I guess. But they had ballots."
Trump appeared to be alluding to a case in Wisconsin, in which three trays of mail were found in a ditch, not a river, by the side of the road. The reporter Trump was speaking to pointed out that there were no names on the ballots.
Trump responded:
"Okay, well, they still found them in a river, whether they had a name on it or not. But the other ones had the "Trump" name on it, and they were thrown into a waste paper basket."
Trump repeated the claim at the recent chaotic presidential debate.
In reality, the signs pointed to a case of botched delivery, rather than voter fraud.
People need to understand the details here because the White House is trying to hide them.
The details indicate that this is NOT voter fraud. This is a failure of the mail being delivered.
Somebody trying to cast phony votes doesn't throw ballots into a ditch.#WhereIsTheRiver pic.twitter.com/xzs2mTNkyR
— JRehling (@JRehling) October 1, 2020
In a Thursday press briefing, Fox News Radio reporter John Decker pressed White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on which river Trump was referring to.
Watch below.
"When the President said they found a lot of ballots in the river: Where is the river?"@PressSec doesn't answer. pic.twitter.com/Y9WoXayEBo
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) October 1, 2020
Decker asked:
"The other day [Trump] said 'they found a lot of ballots in a river.' Who is they?" the reporter asked. "Who is 'they,' that found those ballots, and where is this river, anywhere in this country?"
McEnany claimed that local authorities had found ballots in a ditch in Wisconsin. When Decker asked if the President had misspoke when he said "river," McEnany said he had not.
Decker persisted:
"Where specifically, in this particular statement though, who is 'they' that found those ballots and where is this river anywhere in this country?"
McEnany accused Decker of lacking "journalistic curiosity" and still refused to name where the river was.
Suddenly, everyone was asking the same question as Decker.
I'm beginning to think the president just made up the story, @PressSec. #WhereIsTheRiver?
Why are you intent on delegitimizing our country's election?
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 1, 2020
Still waiting on @PressSec to provide some clarity. #WhereIsTheRiver https://t.co/5YmDKtHrOC
— American Bridge 21st Century (@American_Bridge) October 1, 2020
#WhereIsTheRiver is right up there with Where is Trump's "amazing" healthcare plan and where are Trump's tax returns?!
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) October 1, 2020
#WhereIsTheRiver
Donald Trump: "In Thigh Land. Let me show you on this map."#WorstTrumpEver pic.twitter.com/fXGH6nTF5t
— Tomi Ahonen Ruthlessly Dumping Ballots At Ditch (@tomiahonen) October 1, 2020
West Virginia postal worker tried to alter party registration on 5 absentee ballot applications from Democrat to Republican.
The system caught the discrepancy and he's been charged with election fraud.
Found the river!#WhereIsTheRiver https://t.co/5l5YBbjF7o
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) October 1, 2020
#WhereIsTheRiver
Looking for Ballots... pic.twitter.com/CS2H8uVYmp
— 🇵🇷This Boricua Really Hates Trump🇺🇸 (@UtRican) October 1, 2020
They continued calling out Trump's baseless smears against mail-in voting.
The White House press secretary just lied a great deal about mail-in voting. She couldn't explain Trump's lies about mail-in voting. She couldn't defend her own lies about mail-in voting. She kept trying to dodge. She couldn't answer for the president's lies or her lies.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 1, 2020
Trump lies about every conceivable subject, but voting and the election might be the single subject on which he's most thoroughly dishonest. https://t.co/ZsPr3u0BMd
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 1, 2020
On Trump/misinformation, @DavidJollyFL: "It's remarkable that as intelligence reports show there are overseas bad actors trying to influence voting behavior in US w/ misinfo. about mail-in ballots specifically, the largest voice domestically w/ same misinfo. is POTUS." #AMRstaff
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) October 1, 2020