Former President Donald Trump, during virtual rallies on Sunday, encouraged supporters in Virginia and Minnesota to vote early and by mail, despite his previous false claims about mail-in voting causing election fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Addressing Virginia voters, Trump emphasized the ongoing early voting in the state and suggested voting by mail as an option. He stated, 'Another way you can cast the ballot early is to vote by mail. And you’ve heard a lot about voting by mail, but that’s what we have right now.'
In a separate virtual rally with Minnesota voters, Trump reiterated concerns about voter fraud in the previous election but still urged supporters to utilize mail-in voting. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that ballots are counted, saying, 'Our country is in big trouble. And you can do it by mail or early in person or on Election Day, but make sure your ballot counts and check it.'
Notably, the Trump campaign announced a program in June aimed at promoting absentee, mail-in, and early in-person voting, which contrasts with Trump's past criticisms of these voting methods. The former president had previously denounced mail-in voting and alleged widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
This recent shift represents a significant change from Trump's earlier stance, where he consistently called for an end to mail-in voting and discouraged Republicans from voting through any means other than in-person at polling stations on Election Day.
