Donald Trump tells Dr. Phil he’d win California if "Jesus Christ came down and was the vote counter”

In 2020, Trump lost California to President Joe Biden by nearly 30%

By Marin Scotten

News Fellow

Published August 28, 2024 1:04PM (EDT)

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at the Huntington Place Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan, on August 26, 2024. (Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at the Huntington Place Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan, on August 26, 2024. (Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Donald Trump insists he would win the state of California in November if the votes were counted by Jesus himself.

“If Jesus Christ came down and was the vote counter, I would win California, OK?” Trump said Tuesday in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw. 

He criticized California’s mail-in voting system, falsely claiming it leads to more voter fraud. Without it, he said he would win the deep-blue state, which has consistently been won by Democratic presidential candidates since 1992.

“In other words, if we had an honest vote counter, a really honest vote counter, I do great with the Hispanics, great, I mean I had a level that no other Republican’s ever done, but if we had an honest vote counter, I would win California,” the former president told Dr. Phil, himself a Trump supporter.

“You think so?” the TV host replied.

“Oh I think so, I do,” Trump responded.

In 2020, Trump lost California, Vice President Kamala Harris’ homestate, by over 30 points. Harris currently leads Trump in most national and several battleground state polls, with a national polling average lead of 49-46, according to The New York Times

The Harris campaign said in a statement that Trump has “reached a level of delusion difficult for even Dr. Phil to diagnose.” 

Dr. Phil also asked Trump about his comment to a group of Christians last month, when he said they “wouldn’t have to vote anymore” if they voted for him in November. The comment sparked outrage and was called anti-democratic by critics who said Trump was implying he would no longer hold elections if he wins again.

“It doesn’t mean we’re not going to have elections. You’re going to have elections. But you have to vote this time, because we have to win,” Trump responded to Dr. Phil.

“So, you didn’t mean, ‘Vote me in once ‘cause I ain’t never leaving?’ You’re meaning, ‘This is an important one. Vote this time?’” Dr Phil asked.

“Of course that’s what I meant,” Trump replied.

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