‘Absolutely No Truth to This Allegation’: Philadelphia Officials Sharply Rebuke Trump’s Claim of ‘Massive CHEATING’
Philadelphia officials pushed back hard against allegations made by former President Donald Trump that “massive CHEATING” was occurring in the city on Election Day.
On Tuesday, at 4:39 pm ET — in the final hours of voting on the East coast — Trump posted on his Truth Social account:
A lot of talk about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia. Law Enforcement coming!!!
CNN’s Kate Bolduan was reporting live from a precinct in Bensalem, Pennsylvania Tuesday evening, a suburb northeast of Philadelphia, and shared with anchor Erin Burnett how local officials were responding to Trump’s accusations.
“Disinformation, misinformation, it’s been running rampant,” said Bolduan, “and it’s been something that officials in Pennsylvania have been trying to fight against ahead of Election Day, to reassure people that this election here will be safe and secure, just as it was in 2020.”
“They’re now having to combat that from the very top,” she continued, reading Trump’s Truth Social post.
She then read a statement from Seth Bluestein, a Republican on the Philadelphia City Commission and one of three members on the city’s Board of Elections. “There is absolutely no truth to this allegation,” Bolduan quoted him. “It is yet another example of disinformation. Voting in Philadelphia has been safe and secure. He goes on to say, we have been in regular contact with the RNC. We have been responsive to every report of irregularities at the polls to ensure Philadelphians can vote safely and securely.”
Bolduan added that another CNN colleague had spoken with the Philadelphia Police Department, and they confirmed that they were “not aware” of what Trump was talking about.
“That is the reality in Philadelphia, of what they are — they continue the counting,” said Bolduan. “They’re keeping their heads down and continuing to get the work done, but they’re now having to combat this — on Election Day from Donald Trump.”
Watch the clip above via CNN.
UPDATE: Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner posted two tweets responding to Trump’s “unfounded allegation of cheating in Philly’s general election.”
“The only talk about massive cheating has come from one of the candidates, Donald J. Trump. There is no factual basis whatsoever within law enforcement to support this wild allegation,” wrote Krasner. “We have invited complaints and allegations of improprieties all day. If Donald J. Trump has any facts to support his wild allegations, we want them now. Right now. We are not holding our breath.”
