Trump: "They can vote by mail if they want"

President Trump on Monday defended his call over the weekend for Republicans to vote by mail, a practice he has long criticized and sought to curtail, repeatedly claiming it is rife with voter fraud. "I'd rather have them vote in person but they can vote by mail if they want because we seem to have no choice," he told reporters while departing for a campaign event in Nebraska. "A lot of people want to vote by mail but a lot of very good people want to also vote in person. You can do either. What we're concerned about is there seems to be a lot — not seems to be — there is a lot of cheating in vote by mail. A lot of cheating all over." On Saturday, the president put out a video message urging Republicans to vote however they can in the midterm elections. "If your state has early voting, do not wait," he said in the video posted to Truth Social. "Go out and vote. Vote early. Vote by mail or vote in person on Election Day, Nov. 3, so we can defeat the radical left 'Dumocrats' in a midterm victory that is too big to rig." Last month, the Supreme Court rejected the administration's effort to impose new restrictions on mail voting for the midterm elections, leaving existing procedures in place.