TL;DR
- Trump casts mail ballot in Florida election.
- Claims it’s justified as president.
- Criticizes mail-in voting publicly.
- Democrat wins election despite Trump’s endorsement.
- White House calls it a non-story.
In a classic twist of political irony, former President Donald Trump has found himself tangled in a web of hypocrisy after casting a mail-in ballot for a recent special election in Florida. Just days after labeling mail-in voting as “mail-in cheating,” Trump strutted into a Cabinet meeting and declared, “Because I’m president of the United States, I did a mail-in ballot for elections that took place in Florida.” Talk about a plot twist!
So, what gives? Trump explained that he opted for a mail-in ballot because he was too busy with presidential duties to vote in person. “I couldn’t be there, because I had a lot of different things,” he added, as if running the country is just another excuse to skip out on civic duties. Meanwhile, early voting was available in Florida’s House District 87 from March 14 through March 22, and guess where Trump was? At his Mar-a-Lago resort, playing golf. Priorities, right?
On election day, Trump was busy hosting a swearing-in ceremony for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, while voters were heading to the polls. Yet, he had the audacity to criticize mail-in ballots during a roundtable in Memphis, Tennessee, just the day before. “Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating. I call it mail-in cheating,” he said, conveniently ignoring the fact that he himself was participating in the very practice he denounces.
In 2020, Trump had previously acknowledged casting a mail ballot, claiming, “I’m allowed to.” He argued there’s a difference between someone out of state voting by mail and the supposed rampant fraud he often rants about. Now, he’s pushing Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that, while it doesn’t eliminate mail-in voting, Trump has suggested it would. The irony is palpable.
In his latest comments, Trump insisted his mail-in ballot was an “exception” to the rules he so vehemently opposes. “You know, we have exceptions for mail-in ballots? You do know that, right?” he quipped, listing reasons like being away, military service, or illness as valid justifications. So, apparently, being the president counts as an exception too. Who knew?
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales brushed off the controversy, labeling it a “non-story” and reiterating that the SAVE America Act includes commonsense exceptions for mail-in ballots. But let’s be real—this is a classic case of do as I say, not as I do.
In a surprising turn of events, the special election saw Democrat Emily Gregory flip the state House district from Republican to Democratic, defeating Trump-endorsed Republican Jon Maples. Maybe voters are catching on to the hypocrisy? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: the political landscape is as unpredictable as ever.