Much has been made of President Donald Trump's first week on the job, with many outlets noting that the sheer level of work accomplished is close to historic. Less mentioned is something that apparently came up during a meeting with legislators this week: Trump floated an idea of ending the Electoral College only to be convinced otherwise by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky).
During a meeting with congressional leadership this week, Trump said he was interested in using a national popular vote to determine the presidency, sources who attended the meting told the Journal.McConnell urged Trump not to do so, pointing out the lengthy recount in Florida in the 2000 presidential election and noting that a national recount would take even longer.
Trump eventually agreed and decided not to pursue the change, the report said.
The suggestion — though quickly shot down — is bound to raise eyebrows given that Trump also used his first week to call for a major investigation into voter fraud after continuing to insist that three million votes were cast illegally in the 2016 election. Add to that the fact that Hillary Clinton is reported to have won the popular vote by that same amount, and that many Democrats feel the Electoral College is the only reason a Trump presidency is now a reality, the suggestion seems even more out of line with current conservative policy.
As the Hill reports, Trump is expected to issue an executive order launching a voter fraud investigation sometime in the future.
“I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time),” Trump has tweeted regarding the investigation. “Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!”
