President Donald Trump spent part of Monday criticizing mail-in voting during remarks to a law enforcement task force in Memphis, calling the practice “mail-in cheating” and promising action against it. However, a report published later that day revealed that Trump himself had recently voted by mail in a Florida election.
According to The Washington Post, records from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections show that Trump, who is registered to vote at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, submitted a mail ballot for a special election held Tuesday. The race was between Republican candidate Jon Maples and Democrat Emily Gregory for a Florida state House seat.
A spokesperson for the elections office confirmed that the voting record was accurate. The timing has drawn attention because Trump appeared to have other options for casting his vote. According to the report, the president was in Palm Beach over the weekend, when early in-person voting was still available through Sunday.
“Trump did not have to vote by mail. He was in Palm Beach over the weekend, and early in-person voting was available through Sunday,” the Post noted. The Development has reignited debate over Trump’s long-standing criticism of mail-in voting.
The president has repeatedly argued that the practice is vulnerable to fraud, even though numerous studies and election officials have found little evidence of widespread fraud linked to mail ballots. Trump has previously acknowledged voting by mail himself.
During the 2020 election cycle, he confirmed that he had submitted a mail ballot while simultaneously questioning the integrity of the system. At the time, he told reporters: “I’m allowed to.” His recent vote comes as the administration continues pushing the SAVE Act through the Senate.
The proposed legislation would overhaul election procedures and introduce new nationwide restrictions on mail voting.
Trump has been vocal about his opposition to the widespread use of mail ballots. In a social media post last year, he wrote that he intended to “lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS,” and also claimed that “ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING.”
The White House downplayed the issue after the voting record became public. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales dismissed the report, calling it “a non-story” and explaining that Trump resides in Washington while remaining registered to vote in Florida.
Wales added that the proposed legislation includes exceptions allowing certain voters to cast ballots by mail. “As President Trump has said, the Save America Act has commonsense exceptions for Americans to use mail-in ballots for illness, disability, military or travel but universal mail-in voting should not be allowed because it’s highly susceptible to fraud,” Wales said.
The situation has sparked renewed political debate over mail-in voting and its regulation across the United States.
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