- "I'm telling you, November 8, we'd better be careful, because that election is going to be rigged," Trump says
Columbus, Ohio (CNN)Donald Trump on Monday took his complaints about the "rigged" political system one step further.
"I'm afraid the election's going to be rigged. I have to be honest," Trump told voters in Ohio, a crucial swing state.
Trump's
comments Monday came as he decried Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for
endorsing Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, even as some
Sanders supporters have continued to resist unifying behind the nominee.
Trump has sought to siphon off Sanders supporters and draw them to his
campaign.
Trump added that he has
heard "more and more" that the November election will be rigged --
suggesting to his supporters that the outcome of the election is out of
the hands of voters.
Hillary
Clinton's spokesman Brian Fallon mocked Trump on Twitter Tuesday
morning, writing, "Even for a reflexive conspiracy theorist like Trump,
this is pathetic. It's dangerous, too."
Trump
during the primary repeatedly slammed the "rigged system" he claimed
was working against his campaign to capture the Republican nomination
for president. He then pivoted to using that language to decry the
nomination process on the left, accusing the Democratic Party of
colluding with the Clinton campaign to keep Sanders from winning that
party's nomination.
Trump's comments
during the primary bolstered the impression that Trump, a political
outsider, was leading the charge against a corrupt political system.
But
his latest comments could hurt Trump's general election campaign as his
supporters might decide not to turn out to vote if the election is
already "rigged" against their candidate.
Trump
continued with the "rigged" theme during a Monday night interview on
Fox News. Appearing on "Hannity," the Republican nominee suggested the
potential for foul play in November. Trump pointed to the 2012
presidential election as a cause for concern.
"I've
been hearing about it for a long time," Trump said. "And I know last
time, there were -- you had precincts where there was practically nobody
voting for the Republican. And I think that's wrong. I think that was
unfair, frankly" for 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney.
"I'm
telling you, November 8, we'd better be careful, because that election
is going to be rigged," Trump added. "And I hope the Republicans are
watching closely or it's going to be taken away from us."