Trump's mail-in meltdown

In a recent episode of "Today, Explained," hosts Andrew Kaczynski and Patrick Marley delve into the escalating concerns surrounding former President Donald Trump's relentless attacks on mail-in voting and the broader implications for the integrity of American elections. The conversation unpacks the origins of Trump's claims, the legal battles that have ensued, and the potential for these narratives to undermine public trust in democratic processes.

The President's Persistent Claims of Voter Fraud

Donald Trump's rhetoric regarding mail-in voting has been a consistent feature of his political discourse, intensifying around election cycles. Marley, a reporter with The Washington Post covering elections and voting, confirms that voter fraud does exist but emphasizes its minimal scale. "Voter fraud exists, it does happen, it does not happen on a large scale," Marley states, clarifying that it doesn't occur at a level that could sway presidential elections. While there have been isolated instances of fraud in individual races, these are not indicative of widespread systemic issues. Trump, however, has consistently portrayed mail-in voting as inherently corrupt, calling for its "outright elimination" in some cases and asserting that "you can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots."