Trump rips CNN in tirade over his baseless voter fraud claims
President-elect Donald Trump went head to head on Twitter with CNN anchor Jeff Zeleny over Trump's unfounded claims that there were "millions" of illegal votes cast in the 2016 election.
Zeleny referred to Trump as a "sore winner" in an on-air report Monday night, after the president-elect failed to provide any evidence of the rampant voter fraud that he asserted.
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In response, Trump promoted a series of tweets from his supporters attacking Zeleny, including one that called the newsman a "part time wannabe journalist."
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Zeleny fired back at Trump, challenging him to provide proof of his voter fraud claims: "@realDonaldTrump Good evening! Have been looking for examples of voter fraud. Please send our way. Full-time journalist here still working," Zeleny wrote on Twitter.
The argument stems from a missive Trump tweeted on Sunday without any evidence to back it up: "In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."
Trump's Twitter followers leaned in on Zeleny, and he promoted several of their tweets:
"@HighonHillcrest: @jeffzeleny what PROOF do u have DonaldTrump did not suffer from millions of FRAUD votes? Journalist? Do your job! @CNN"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
"@JoeBowman12: @jeffzeleny just another generic CNN part time wannabe journalist !" @CNN still doesn't get it. They will never learn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
"@sdcritic: @HighonHillcrest@jeffzeleny@CNN There is NO QUESTION THAT #voterfraud did take place, and in favor of #CorruptHillary !"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
.@CNN is so embarrassed by their total (100%) support of Hillary Clinton, and yet her loss in a landslide, that they don't know what to do.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
Top election officials in states where Trump alleged voter fraud have rebuked his assertions, calling them "unsubstantiated."
The president-elect previously stoked claims of voter fraud in the weeks leading up to the presidential election, urging his supporters to be watchful of irregularities at the polls.
Before the election, Trump and his surrogates openly predicted that it would be "rigged."
Trump's latest allegations of fraud followed news that Wisconsin officials were preparing a vote recount that was requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
Although Trump won the Electoral College 306-to-232 to beat Democrat Hillary Clinton, he trails by more than 2 million votes nationwide.
For its part, Clinton's campaign said it would participate in the recount despite having found no "actionable evidence" of impropriety in the polling.
RELATED: 2016 presidential election popular vote
