To the editor,

Both Trump and Mike Johnson think the American people are gullible enough to believe anything they say. Last week, when Trump and Mike Johnson made false claims that the California primary elections were “rigged,” neither was able to produce one piece of credible evidence. Luckily, we still have journalists who ask the right questions. 

When Kristen Welker asked Trump for evidence of the so-called “rigged” June 2 primary elections in California, Trump’s only reply was: “All I have to do is look.” A few days later, when a reporter asked Mike Johnson for evidence for the same claim, his response was: “Everyone knows instinctively that something is wrong here.” 

They are counting on you to believe them and not the facts and evidence. Don’t be fooled. These two seasoned politicians know very well why the California primary election results are still pending.  

1. In California, everyone receives a mail-in ballot, and many take advantage of the practice. They will then count all ballots postmarked on or before election day.
2. Each ballot envelope signature must match the signature on file, which is a labor-intensive process. If a signature doesn’t match, the voter has 26 days after the election to fix/verify the potential error.
3. People who aren't registered may cast a provisional ballot on election day, and election officials then need to verify that each of those voters is eligible, which adds to delays.

The legal deadline for reporting California’s primary election results is July 3, and the Secretary of State has until July 10 to officially certify results.

Trump and Johnson’s calculated deception is a pathetic attempt to manipulate the American public. They know that Americans are fed-up with their leadership, and come November, the only way they believe they can stay in power is to cheat the system by riling up people about virtually non-existent voter fraud and by passing the fraudulent SAVE Act.

When they give us vague, overly emotional evidence, we need to do our own research. The internet is at our disposal -- use the research and critical thinking skills you learned in school to find the facts for yourself from INDEPENDENT sources. Truth is the only way to combat their lies.

Laurie Harmon

Hudson