Oh, sweet Jesus.
Former President Donald Trump posited that he could win in deep blue California if Jesus Christ came down and counted votes himself — insinuating that the Golden State’s contests are rife with malfeasance.
“I guarantee if Jesus came down and was the vote counter, I would win California, OK?” Trump told television psychologist “Dr. Phil” McGraw in an interview posted to Trump’s YouTube Tuesday.
“In other words, if we had an honest vote counter, a really honest vote counter — I do great with the Hispanics, great,” he went on. “I mean, at a level that no Republican’s ever done. But if we had an honest vote counter, I would win California.”
Donald Trump suggested that God saved him from death during the Butler, Pa., rally last month. Getty ImagesTrump, 78, said “Democrats play a different game” and pointed to ballot harvesting, in which absentee ballots get delivered to polling places on voters’ behalf, as evidence of foul play.
The Trump campaign is seeking to gin up early voting among his supporters in order to win, despite the candidate’s grievances with the process.
As evidence of his political strength in California, Trump recounted the monster crowds he drew in the Golden State.
“I gave a speech. … I had a crowd so big. I said, ‘There’s no way I could lose California,’ but automatically, they mark it down, if you’re a Republican, as a loss, that you lose by 5 million votes,” Trump groused to Dr. Phil, who later pressed him on that.
“I go around California. They have Trump signs all over the place. It’s very dishonest,” Trump shot back when pressed on his bold claim.
The former president believes he could win California if Jesus came down and administered the election. AFP via Getty ImagesKamala Harris campaign spokeswoman Sarafina Chitika lambasted Trump’s comments.
“He still doesn’t acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election four years ago — despite the violent insurrection launched in his name. While Donald Trump refuses to acknowledge the facts, voters know Vice President Harris is the candidate to lead us into the future,” she hit back in a statement.
Trump was walloped in the most populous state in 2016 by over 30 points and 4 million votes, then again in 2020 by just shy of 30 points and over 5 million votes.
For context, the 45th president lost the 2016 popular vote by about 2.9 million votes and in 2020 by about 7 million votes.
In other words, his deficit in the liberal stronghold of California accounted for a sizeable chunk of his popular-vote shortfall in both elections.
Dr. Phil seemed skeptical of the former president’s claim. Getty ImagesRepublicans haven’t triumphed in California during a presidential cycle since 1988, when George H.W. Bush took the state, amid shifting demographics.
Trump has previously pedaled dubious claims about election fraud. Shortly after his 2016 victory, he claimed without evidence that millions of votes were cast illegally, depriving him of a popular-vote victory. At the same time, he rejected the notion that any of those supposed illegal votes went for him.
Then, after his 2020 loss, Trump claimed — without evidence — that the election was “rigged” and “stolen” from him. Election officials have strenuously denied those accusations.
Vice President Kamala Harris hails from California. Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORKLater in his interview with Dr. Phil, Trump further invoked religion while reflecting on his brush with death last month during the rally in Butler, Pa., when a bullet grazed his right ear, missing his head by millimeters.
“There had to be some great power,” Trump reflected on how he shifted his head just in time to survive the shooting. “So I shouldn’t be with you.”
“The only thing I can think is that God loves our country, and he thinks we’re going to bring our country back,” Trump further added about the reason for his survival. “It has to be God. I mean, how can you say it’s luck when it’s 20 million to 1?”






