President Donald Trump has voiced concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections, specifically referencing the Los Angeles mayoral primary and the outcome for candidate Spencer Pratt. Trump stated in a Newsmax interview that "something has to be done about the ‘crooked’ elections in our country."
Trump cited Pratt's performance in the June mayoral primary, where he initially held a strong position. "Spencer Pratt was an easy number two and maybe number one, but certainly number two. And all of the sudden they had the mail-in ballots pour in and Spencer Pratt was gone," Trump said. He referred to City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who secured second place to advance to the general election, as a "no-name" who saw a significant surge in mail-in ballot votes.
The former president argued that "rigged elections" need to be "straightened out," advocating for voter ID measures and calling the mail-in ballot process "corrupt" and "crooked."
Earlier in the week, Pratt met with Trump at the White House. Pratt announced the launch of his new media organization, the WAR Foundation, which he described as a venture that would use "hard-hitting media, investigative research, educational campaigns, and strategic partnerships in government and media" to promote its message. Pratt ran an anti-establishment campaign for mayor, utilizing social media and criticizing city leaders on issues such as homelessness, public safety, and the city's response to the Palisades Fire.
Following Pratt's failure to reach the November runoff, Trump had previously encouraged him to dispute the primary loss. "Spencer Pratt… He shouldn’t go away quietly. He should protest because it was, in my very strong opinion, that was a rigged election," Trump stated last month.