Trump Critiques California Elections Amid LA Primary Chaos

WHO:

CNN - Harry Enten stated that if Nithya Raman advances, it would be "an absolute nightmare for the Democratic establishment" and that Mayor Bass would have preferred to face Spencer Pratt instead.

Alternet - House Speaker Mike Johnson stated, "I'm not saying it's rigged... but I think everybody knows instinctively something is wrong here."

CNN - U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, mentioned that California has created "the opportunity for fraud."

Alternet - House Speaker Mike Johnson stated, "I'm saying it stinks to high heaven. And everybody knows that."

Alternet - Trump’s controversial acting DNI nominee, Bill Pulte, will be seeking arrests linked to his claims about the 2020 election.

US Magazine - Trump stated, “Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had. 3rd World Nation. Rigged Elections!” on Truth Social.

Alternet - President Trump stated, “No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!” regarding the California primary results.

Alternet - Trump threatened “great trouble and consternation” if Republicans are locked out in the upcoming general election.

Alternet - House Speaker Mike Johnson stated, "I'm not saying it's rigged... but I think everybody knows instinctively something is wrong here."

Alternet - Trump has a controversial acting DNI nominee, Bill Pulte, who will be seeking arrests linked to his claims about the 2020 election.

Alternet - Spencer Pratt was a boyfriend of a former reality TV star.

Alternet - Harry Enten stated that the last person Mayor Karen Bass wants to run against is another Democrat.

Alternet - President Trump criticized the California elections.

Alternet - Spencer Pratt, a candidate in the LA primary, was initially in the lead but fell to third place.

Alternet - Nithya Raman is another candidate who has pulled ahead of Pratt.

Alternet - Mayor Karen Bass is involved in the LA primary election.

Alternet - CNN data analyst Harry Enten provided analysis on the election dynamics.

WHAT:

CNN - Trump claimed, “Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had. 3rd World Nation. Rigged Elections!” on Truth Social.

CNN - The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced "multiple election fraud investigations," citing supposed "serious structural vulnerabilities" in the election process.

CNN - A March Marist College poll showed that confidence in the fairness of the upcoming election was lower than it’s been at any point in recent years, including ahead of the 2020 election.

CNN - An April Reuters-Ipsos poll indicated that more than 8 in 10 Republicans believed noncitizens cast large numbers of illegal votes.

CNN - The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, mentioned that California has created "the opportunity for fraud."

CNN - A March Marist College poll showed that confidence in the fairness of the upcoming election was lower than it’s been at any point in recent years, including ahead of the 2020 election.

CNN - An April Reuters-Ipsos poll indicated that more than 8 in 10 Republicans believed noncitizens cast large numbers of illegal votes.

US Magazine - Trump expressed doubts about the accuracy of the Los Angeles mayoral election results, claiming that the election is "rigged."

CNN - A March Marist College poll showed that 70% of Republicans expected fraud to mar the upcoming election.

CNN - An April Reuters-Ipsos poll indicated that more than 8 in 10 Republicans believed noncitizens cast large numbers of illegal votes.

CNN - The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, mentioned that California has created "the opportunity for fraud."

CNN - A March Marist College poll showed that confidence in the fairness of the upcoming election was lower than it’s been at any point in recent years, including ahead of the 2020 election.

CNN - The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced "multiple election fraud investigations," citing supposed "serious structural vulnerabilities" in the election process.

CNN - Polling showed that if Nithya Raman advances, it would be "an absolute nightmare for the Democratic establishment."

CNN - Harry Enten stated that if Nithya Raman advances, it would be "an absolute nightmare for the Democratic establishment" and that Mayor Bass would have preferred to face Spencer Pratt instead.

CNN - Enten explained that Bass would have crushed Pratt by 18 points in a general election matchup, according to polling data.

CNN - Enten noted that Bass's favorability numbers are considerably lower than Raman's.

CNN - Trump claimed, “No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!” regarding the California primary results.

CNN - Harry Enten stated, "This is the dumbest conspiracy theory I've ever heard!" regarding claims of election fraud in California.

CNN - Enten noted that Trump's net approval rating in Los Angeles is "about 55 points underwater."

CNN - Enten explained that if Nithya Raman advances, it would be "an absolute nightmare for the Democratic establishment" and that Mayor Bass would have preferred to face Spencer Pratt instead.

NY Post - Trump labeled the California elections as “crooked.”

NY Post - Trump threatened “great trouble and consternation” if Republicans are locked out in the upcoming general election.

Alternet - Approximately 80 percent of California voters vote by mail.

Alternet - The state counts all ballots that were postmarked on or before election day and allows one week for ballots to arrive.

Alternet - Only about 12 percent of voters identify as registered Republicans in California.

WHERE:

Alternet - The events are taking place in California, specifically in Los Angeles.

WHEN:

NY Post - The general election is scheduled for November.

WHY:

CNN - The resurgence of voter fraud claims among Republicans is attributed to the perception that Democrats are gaining ground in the election results, particularly after primary day.

Alternet - Johnson admitted that he does not have evidence that the election is being rigged, stating, "some of these efforts are so diabolical and so far upstream that it is impossible to prove."

Alternet - House Speaker Mike Johnson admitted that he does not have evidence that the election is being rigged, stating, "some of these efforts are so diabolical and so far upstream that it is impossible to prove."

CNN - The resurgence of voter fraud claims among Republicans is attributed to the perception that Democrats are gaining ground in the election results, particularly after primary day.

Alternet - Republicans believe that Democrats are stealing votes from Spencer Pratt due to his drop in rankings.

Alternet - Harry Enten explained that the Democratic establishment and Mayor Bass preferred Spencer Pratt as an opponent over Nithya Raman.

HOW:

CNN - The California ballot-counting process takes a long time because of how its elections are run, and late-counted mail ballots have typically favored Democrats.

CNN - The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced "multiple election fraud investigations," citing supposed "serious structural vulnerabilities" in the election process.

CNN - The California ballot-counting process is time-consuming, and late-counted mail ballots have typically favored Democrats.

CNN - The California ballot-counting process takes a long time because of how its elections are run, and late-counted mail ballots have typically favored Democrats.

CNN - The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced "multiple election fraud investigations," citing supposed "serious structural vulnerabilities" in the election process.

Alternet - The counting process in California allows for ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by election day and arrive within a week.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 15:54 UTC)

Trump has made headlines by claiming that it was "not possible" for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs, labeling the situation as indicative of a "3rd World Nation" and alleging rigged elections on Truth Social. Meanwhile, the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles has announced multiple election fraud investigations, pointing to "serious structural vulnerabilities" in the election process, which has fueled a resurgence of voter fraud claims among Republicans as they perceive Democrats gaining ground. This comes as the California ballot-counting process is known for its lengthy duration, with late-counted mail ballots historically favoring Democratic candidates.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 13:49 UTC)

House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed concerns about the integrity of the election process, stating, "I'm not saying it's rigged... but I think everybody knows instinctively something is wrong here." Meanwhile, the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles has launched multiple investigations into election fraud, highlighting serious structural vulnerabilities and noting that confidence in the fairness of the upcoming election is at a historic low, according to recent polls. This surge in voter fraud claims among Republicans appears to stem from a belief that Democrats are gaining ground in the election results, especially following primary day.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 11:54 UTC)

House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed strong concerns about election integrity, stating, "I'm saying it stinks to high heaven. And everybody knows that." Meanwhile, Trump’s acting DNI nominee, Bill Pulte, is planning to pursue arrests related to his allegations about the 2020 election, as confidence in the fairness of upcoming elections has dropped significantly, according to a recent Marist College poll. This resurgence of voter fraud claims among Republicans is fueled by the belief that Democrats are gaining ground, particularly as California's lengthy ballot-counting process tends to favor late-counted mail ballots, which historically lean Democratic.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 06:17 UTC)

Trump has raised concerns about the Los Angeles mayoral election results, claiming on Truth Social that the election is "rigged" and expressing disbelief that Spencer Pratt could have lost after having a significant lead. This resurgence of voter fraud claims among Republicans is linked to the perception that Democrats are gaining momentum in the election outcomes, especially following primary day. In response, the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles has announced multiple election fraud investigations, pointing to what they describe as "serious structural vulnerabilities" in the election process.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 04:20 UTC)

President Trump has voiced strong objections to the California primary results, claiming, “No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!” He also warned of “great trouble and consternation” if Republicans find themselves excluded from the upcoming general election, which is set for November. Meanwhile, a recent March Marist College poll revealed that 70% of Republicans expect fraud to taint the election, a sentiment echoed by an April Reuters-Ipsos poll showing that over 80% believe noncitizens are casting illegal votes, prompting the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles to launch multiple investigations into alleged election fraud.

(UPDATED June 8, 2026 23:19 UTC)

House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed concerns about the integrity of the upcoming election, stating, "I'm not saying it's rigged... but I think everybody knows instinctively something is wrong here." Meanwhile, Trump has nominated Bill Pulte as acting DNI, who plans to pursue arrests related to his claims about the 2020 election, as confidence in the fairness of the upcoming election has plummeted, according to a recent poll. The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York highlighted that California's ballot-counting process creates "the opportunity for fraud," especially as late-counted mail ballots have historically favored Democrats.

(UPDATED June 8, 2026 21:31 UTC)

The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles has announced multiple election fraud investigations, pointing to serious structural vulnerabilities in the election process. Polling indicates that if Nithya Raman advances, it could spell disaster for the Democratic establishment, while House Speaker Mike Johnson has acknowledged a lack of evidence for claims of election rigging, describing some efforts as too complex to prove. Additionally, the lengthy California ballot-counting process often benefits Democrats, as late-counted mail ballots have historically leaned in their favor.

(UPDATED June 8, 2026 19:41 UTC)

Harry Enten from CNN highlighted that if Nithya Raman advances, it could spell trouble for the Democratic establishment, as Mayor Bass would have preferred to face Spencer Pratt in the election, whom she would have beaten by 18 points according to polling data. Enten also pointed out that Bass's favorability ratings are significantly lower than those of Raman, which adds to the tension. Meanwhile, Trump has voiced his concerns about the California primary results, claiming, “No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!” as the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced multiple election fraud investigations due to perceived vulnerabilities in the election process.

(UPDATED June 8, 2026 18:00 UTC)

Harry Enten from CNN has called the claims of election fraud in California "the dumbest conspiracy theory I've ever heard." He also pointed out that Trump's net approval rating in Los Angeles is currently about 55 points underwater. Additionally, Enten mentioned that if Nithya Raman advances, it would be "an absolute nightmare for the Democratic establishment," and noted that Mayor Bass would have preferred to face Spencer Pratt instead.

(UPDATED June 8, 2026 16:17 UTC)

President Trump has criticized the California elections, labeling them as “crooked” and warning of “great trouble and consternation” if Republicans are excluded in the upcoming general election scheduled for November. In the Los Angeles primary, Spencer Pratt, who was initially leading, has now fallen to third place as Nithya Raman has pulled ahead, with Mayor Karen Bass also involved in the election dynamics. CNN data analyst Harry Enten noted that the Democratic establishment, including Mayor Bass, preferred Pratt as an opponent over Raman, raising concerns among Republicans who believe votes are being stolen from Pratt.