Democrats wearing disguises cost Republicans election: Trump

Washington: President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Democrats wearing disguises and voting more than once were responsible for Republican losses in tight congressional elections.

“The Republicans don’t win and that’s because of potentially illegal votes,” Trump was quoted as saying by right-wing website The Daily Caller.

Final results have yet to be declared in multiple races following last week’s midterm polls, with tense recounts underway in Florida.

The midterm races for governor and senator in the politically important state are so close that recounts are obligatory. Republican Rick Scott was ahead of incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson by just 50.1 to 49.9 percent, according to the latest unofficial count.

Democrats have accused Republicans of maneuvering to prevent full vote tallies, while Trump told The Daily Caller that voter fraud had tipped the contest into chaos.

Trump claimed, without providing any evidence, that blatant use of fake voters in disguise had swung close elections.

“When people get in line that have absolutely no right to vote and they go around in circles. Sometimes they go to their car, put on a different hat, put on a different shirt, come in and vote again. Nobody takes anything. It’s really a disgrace what’s going on,” Trump said.

Republicans have pushed hard for tighter rules requiring voters to show identification when they come to cast ballots. Democrats have resisted, arguing that the number of false voters is miniscule and that demanding IDs would have the effect of suppressing turnout, especially of poorer black Americans, in favor of the Republicans.

Trump shot back, saying that any ordinary shopper already carried documents that could be used at a polling station.

“If you buy a box of cereal — you have a voter ID,” he was quoted as saying.

“They try to shame everybody by calling them racist, or calling them something, anything they can think of, when you say you want voter ID,” he said.