Trump Questions California Vote Counting Amid LA Mayoral Race

On June 8, 2026, President Donald Trump criticized California's vote-counting process after Republican candidate Spencer Pratt fell to third place in the Los Angeles mayoral race. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed, without providing evidence, that Pratt and other Republican candidates were being treated unfairly as ballots were counted. He stated, "Has anybody been watching the CROOKED Election going on in California?" California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office responded, calling Trump a "sore loser." Updated results indicated that incumbent Mayor Karen Bass led with 34.7% of the vote, followed by City Council member Nithya Raman at 27.1%, and Pratt at 26.7%, a margin of just over 3,100 votes. Trump's comments came shortly after he ended an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker, during which he was asked to provide evidence for his claims of election rigging.