Trump claims he won 2016 popular vote ‘in true sense’

Not first time the president has claimed millions voted illegally without providing evidence

President Donald Trump claimed again, with no evidence, that he won the popular vote in 2016.

In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that aired on Tuesday night, the president said that he believes there was “tremendous cheating”.

Trump was describing the enthusiasm of his supporters when Ms Ingraham asked whether he thought he could win the popular vote, adding that it would send an important message to the country.

“I think I could win,” Trump said. “I think I did win the popular vote, in a true sense.”

The president baselessly claimed there was cheating in states such as California and New York and that millions of people voted illegally.

He also argued that he was disadvantaged in the popular vote by Libertarian candidates who siphoned off Republican votes.

This is not the first time he has made such claims.

While Trump won the Electoral College vote in 2016 by 304 electors to Hillary Clinton’s 227, the Democrat won approximately 3 million more votes than he did.

Current polling for the 2020 election has Democratic candidate Joe Biden leading Mr Trump 49.6 per cent to 42.4 per cent according to the RealClear Politics’ national polling average.