Trump revives election fraud claims after crushing midterm defeat

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday revived baseless allegations of election fraud, reversing his initial acceptance of last week’s midterm results after Democrats swept both chambers of Congress in a crushing defeat for his Republican Party.

“Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest. How could the Polls be so wrong???” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, offering no evidence of wrongdoing.

“Some early voting ‘dumps’ were so large that it was impossible to win, no matter how many people went to vote,” he added.

“It’s all about the machines, which are far more important than the voter!”

The extraordinary reversal came six days after Americans delivered a sweeping rejection of Trump’s party, handing Democrats their biggest House majority in nearly two decades and control of the Senate.

Trump initially struck an unusually conciliatory tone, congratulating his opponents and acknowledging they had fought a successful campaign.

“I am absolutely willing to accept those results,” he told The New York Times on election night, adding that he looked forward to working with Democrats.

He subsequently praised their campaign on Fox News, declaring: “I think the Democrats did a good job. I really do.”