An ad by a liberal group says, “MAGA patriots listen to our president!” It includes clips of former President Donald Trump criticizing voting by mail.
The Trump clips are authentic and were taken from remarks he made this past February and in 2020. The ad concludes with text: “Stand Strong with President Trump against mail in voting!”
But that’s not what Trump has said this year. On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump has told Republicans it is acceptable to vote by mail. But he also said his goal is “one-day voting” which would likely preclude voting by mail.
Pennsylvania Values PAC, a liberal group opposing Trump, created the ad. The Trump campaign sent a letter to the PAC asking it to take the ad down. A report the PAC filed with the Federal Election Commission showed it spent $44,000 on a digital ad in June.
Clips in the ad show Trump criticizing voting by mail
The ad includes three clips of Trump speaking against voting by mail.
“All of the things that are happening with votes by mail, I am not going to say which party does it, but thousands of votes are gathered and they are coming and they are dumped in a location and then all of a sudden you lose elections that you think you are going to win.” – April 8, 2020, coronavirus press briefing
Trump said that in response to a reporter’s question about his opposition to voting by mail. Trump also said, “If you’re a senior citizen and if you’re somebody that needs (mail-in voting), I’m all for it.”
At a press briefing the same week, Trump said that with voting by mail, “you get thousands and thousands of people sitting in somebody’s living room, signing ballots all over the place.” We rated that statement False. Credible studies have found that voter fraud is rare, whether through in-person voting or voting by mail.
“There’s fraud, they found them in creeks, they found some with the name Trump just the other day in a wastepaper basket.” — Sept. 29, 2020 debate.
Trump said that in response to a debate moderator’s question about how confident the public should be that the election would be fair. The moderator said that some mail-in ballots would be counted after Election Day.
Trump replied, “They’re sending millions of ballots all over the country. There’s fraud.” Trump said, “This is going to be a fraud like you’ve never seen.”
We rated his statement about ballots found in creeks as False.
“Mail-in voting is totally corrupt — get that through your head, it has to be.” — Feb. 17 rally in Michigan.
Trump told the crowd the goal “will be one-day voting ” but also said “mail-in voting is totally corrupt — get that through your head, it has to be.”
Trump spoke more positively about voting by mail in recent months
In 2023, Trump recorded a message for the Republican National Committee’s 2024 early voting campaign. “Go to bankyourvote.com to sign up and commit to voting early,” Trump said.
In 2024, Trump has sometimes attacked voting by mail, but recently, he has promoted it.
“We have to get rid of mail-in ballots because once you have mail-in ballots, you have crooked elections,” Trump said in January after he won the Iowa caucus.
“These mail-in ballots are treacherous. They’re treacherous. These boxes, these locked boxes, are horrible. Horrible. And we’ll change it, but we have to win the election in order to change it,” Trump said in June in Detroit.
Voters can submit mail ballots at ballot drop boxes in multiple states.
Despite these caveats, Trump has also invited Republicans to cast mail ballots.
“Absentee voting, early voting, and Election Day voting are all good options. Republicans must make a plan, register, and vote!” Trump said in April on Truth Social. He repeated that in a May video.
In early June, the Trump campaign unveiled the Swamp the Vote USA website, which promotes the various options for voting. Trump said in a video message on the website: “We must use every appropriate tool available to beat the Democrats, they are destroying our country. Whether you vote early, absentee, by mail or in person we are going to protect the vote.” He added, “Many Republicans like to vote on Election Day” and, “if you can’t make it, you need to make a plan, register and vote any way possible.”
He posted a similar statement on Truth Social.
Trump promoted the website and the various voting options at a June rally in Phoenix.
“Vote early, vote absentee, vote mail-in, vote in person. I don’t care how they vote, just get out and vote,” Trump said at a June rally in Philadelphia.
Republican strategists have shifted their stance on voting by mail
Republicans in many states have used voting by mail for years to win elections. After Trump lost in 2020, Republican strategists renewed efforts to promote voting by mail.
Republican groups in Pennsylvania promoted voting by mail this year and Trump’s son Donald Jr. recorded a message: “if you’re working a double shift or family responsibilities prevent you from voting on Election Day Joe Biden wins. Pennsylvania, I need you to join the mail-in voting list today. Visit skipthelinepa.vote.”
CBS News reported that one reason Trump now promotes voting by mail is that advisers showed him data showing they could broaden their outreach to swing voters in battlegrounds if their base was comfortable with early voting.
Our ruling
A liberal political action committee’s ad said Trump is “against mail in voting.”
The ad uses video clips of statements Trump made against voting by mail in 2020 and February.
Trump has spoken negatively about voting by mail at times in 2024 and said his goal is to create “one-day voting.” But Trump has also repeatedly told Republicans to simply vote — and has said they can choose to cast ballots by mail.
We rate this statement Half True.
