Trump says people who vote by mail are 'cheaters.' 11 people in his inner circle did.
Trump himself voted by mail just last month.
Donald Trump and his Republican allies have been on a crusade against voting by mail — a method gaining steam as the COVID-19 pandemic makes in-person voting unsafe.
Trump falsely said in an April 7 briefing that absentee voting is a “dangerous thing for this country,” adding that people who vote-by-mail are “cheaters” and that mail-in ballots are “fraudulent.”
It’s a line of attack that GOP lawmakers are now adopting, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
However, Trump himself has cast multiple absentee ballots in his life. At least 10 other members of Trump’s family and inner circle have also voted by mail at least once.
Here are the members of that inner circle who have cast what Trump described as “fraudulent” votes:
Donald Trump
Trump has voted by mail several times.
Just last month, he voted absentee in the March 17 Republican primary in Florida.
He also cast an absentee ballot in the 2018 midterm elections in New York, before he changed his residency to the Sunshine State.
Melania Trump
The first lady also cast an absentee ballot in last month’s Florida Republican primary.
Mike Pence
Vice President Pence cast an absentee ballot in the 2018 midterm election in his home state of Indiana.
In fact, Pence’s mail-in ballots caused controversy, as he listed the governor’s residence in Indiana as his primary residence — even though he is no longer governor.
Current Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb currently lives in that residence, and has since 2017.
Ivanka Trump
In 2017, the first daughter voted absentee in the New York City mayoral election.
According to the New York Daily News, her ballot wasn’t counted because she mailed it in on Election Day, which made it impossible to count.
Jared Kushner
Trump’s son-in-law and go-to man for solving some of the world’s most complicated problems requested an absentee ballot in New York City’s 2017 mayoral race, according to the NYDN.
Kushner, however, never mailed his ballot in.
Alex Azar
Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary voted absentee in his home state of Indiana in 2018, according to the New York Times.
Larry Kudlow
Trump’s economic adviser has voted absentee “at least 13 times in the past 20 years,” according to Tom Bonier, the CEO of the political consulting firm TargetSmart.
Wilbur Ross
Trump’s Commerce secretary voted by mail 15 times in the last 15 years, according to Bonier.
Most recently, Ross voted absentee in Florida’s primary last month, Bonier said.
Mark Esper
Bonier also said Esper, who currently serves as secretary of defense, voted absentee in 2016.
Stephanie Grisham
The former White House press secretary — who left the role on Tuesday without ever giving a daily press briefing — voted absentee in 2016, according to Bonier.
At the time, Grisham was a press aide on the Trump campaign.
Ronna McDaniel
The chair of the Republican National Committee — who recently joined the chorus of those condemning absentee voting — has voted by mail in the past, Bonier said.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
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