President Donald Trump sharply criticized California’s election process over the weekend as vote totals continued to change days after polls closed, affecting several high-profile Republican candidates in statewide and local races, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned the pace of California’s vote counting and suggested Republican candidates were being disadvantaged as additional ballots were processed.
“Has anybody been watching the CROOKED Election going on in California,” Trump wrote Sunday.
The president continued, “Two great Republican Candidates are being cheated, and so is America, which, if the Dumocrats are able to fulfill their mission, great trouble and consternation will follow.”
“Watch this ‘Election’ closely!!!”
Trump later shared a post from Rep. Abe Hamadeh, who argued that California was “incapable of running free and fair elections consistent with our Constitution.”
The criticism comes as results in several major California races remain unsettled nearly a week after Election Day.
One of the most closely watched contests is the Los Angeles mayoral race, where former reality television personality Spencer Pratt has slipped from second place into third as additional ballots have been counted.
According to updated results, far-left Democratic candidate Nithya Raman moved ahead of Pratt five days after polls closed.
While Decision Desk HQ projected Raman would secure the second runoff position, the Associated Press had not officially called the race at the time of reporting.
Reacting to the projection, Trump posted, “No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!”
Pratt held an 8.1-point advantage over Raman on election night. However, successive ballot updates steadily narrowed the gap before eventually placing Raman ahead.
The shift represented a swing of more than 43,000 votes between the two candidates since election night.
Prediction market data from Polymarket indicated Raman had a 99 percent chance of advancing to the runoff, while Pratt’s chances stood at 1 percent.
Incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had already secured a spot in the November runoff after receiving 34.7 percent of the vote with approximately 83 percent of ballots counted.
Raman’s campaign told KNBC it was encouraged by the updated results. Pratt responded to a social media post highlighting the vote shift by referencing an article from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
“A net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday… 43,000, huh? Where have I seen that number before?” Pratt wrote.
“Probably nothing.”
“A net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday..”
43,000, huh? Where have I seen that number before…?
Probably nothing. https://t.co/W2E3k6PHyR [3] pic.twitter.com/ZfzHCy9enb [4]
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) June 8, 2026 [5]
The article Pratt referenced discussed a Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority estimate that 43,699 people experience homelessness on any given night in Los Angeles.
California election officials note that vote counting often extends well beyond Election Day because counties must verify signatures, process millions of vote-by-mail ballots, and conduct audits before results are certified.
Under state law, county election officials have up to 30 days following an election to complete the canvass, count valid ballots, and perform post-election reviews. Ballots mailed by Election Day remain valid if received by June 9.
Counties must submit final results to the California Secretary of State by July 3, with certification scheduled one week later.
The slow pace has also drawn criticism in the governor’s race.
Republican candidate Steve Hilton has repeatedly criticized California’s election process while waiting for final results in his contest.
“The world is laughing at our inability to count votes in a timely manner. Where is Gavin Newsom?” Hilton wrote on X.
“The snail-like pace of the vote counting process in California is just another example of the incompetence and uselessness of the state government.”
Hilton also criticized Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra, who has already secured a place in November’s election.
“If he was in charge of the Olympics the 100 meters would take 6 days!” Hilton wrote.
Nearly a week into California’s election shambles. The world is laughing at our inability to count votes in a timely manner. Where is Gavin Newsom?
No comment except to reject my plan to speed things up. We deserve better than a do-nothing, checked-out governor. Time for change!
— Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) June 8, 2026 [6]
Despite the delays, Hilton told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” that he remains “very confident” he will finish among the top two candidates and advance to the general election.
At the time of reporting, Hilton held a 4.4-point lead over billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer with approximately 72 percent of ballots counted statewide.
As California election officials continue processing ballots, several of the state’s most significant races remain under close scrutiny from both parties.