Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Trump fails to walk back controversial comments that supporters ‘won’t have to vote anymore’

Former president was given chance to clarify comments in new Fox News interview

Graeme Massie
Los Angeles
Tuesday 30 July 2024 03:38 BST
Comments
Trump fails to clarify comments that supporters ‘won’t have to vote anymore’

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Donald Trump has failed to walk back controversial comments that his supporters ‘won’t have to vote anymore’ if he wins the election in November.

The former president said in a speech last Friday that Christians would not have to worry about voting again in four years if he won back the White House. He was pressed on the issue during a new interview on Fox News with Laura Ingraham.

“That statement is very simple. I said vote for me, you’re not going to have to do it ever again. It’s true, because we have to get the vote out. Christians are not known as a big voting group,” Trump said in the Tuesday night interview.

“This time vote. I’ll straighten out the country, you won’t have to vote anymore. I won’t need your vote. You can go back to not voting,” he added.

“You meant you won’t have to vote for you because you have four years in office. Is that what you meant?” Ingraham asked Trump, which he refused to answer directly.

Ingraham told Trump that his opponents were saying that the comment meant that there would be no more elections if he won the White House again.

Trump said he had not heard that and that he meant Christians do not vote in large numbers.

“Christians do not vote well. They vote in very small percentages. Why, I don’t know. Maybe they’re disappointed in things that are happening,” Trump said. “I say, ‘You don’t vote. I’m saying go out, you must vote.’ But I said to the Christians in the room, thousands of them. I said typically, Christians do not vote.

“Don’t worry about the future,” he continued. “You have to vote on Nov. 5. After that you don’t have to worry about voting anymore. I don’t care, because we’re going to fix it. The country will be fixed … We won’t even need your vote anymore because, frankly, we will have such love.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in