Trump Voted Absentee (for no reason) in Recent Florida Special Election

by Mark M. Bello

When Trump Votes by Mail it’s “Convenience.” When you do it, it’s “Fraud.”

Donald Trump has spent years telling Americans that mail-in voting is corrupt, fraudulent, and—his favorite word, “rigged.”

According to him, mail-in ballots are one way that elections are stolen. In Donald-speak, they cause “cheating” and undermine democracy.

And yet…

When it came time to cast his own ballot in a recent Florida special election, citizen Trump voted by mail. Not quietly, reluctantly, or apologetically. He did so openly and casually, almost proudly.

“I decided that I was going to vote by mail-in ballot because I couldn’t be there…”

Not quite true, he was in Florida in the weeks before the election and could have voted early, in person. But why do that when it’s more convenient to vote by mail?

That’s one reason why millions of people choose to vote by mail.

Here’s the truth about what Trump’s mail-in habit (he’s voted that way before) reveals:

Mail-in voting works.
Mail-in voting is convenient for some and necessary for others.
Mail-in voting encourages and protects participation.

And perhaps most importantly—

Mail-in voting is perfectly acceptable to Trump… when it benefits him.

The Exception That Proves the Rule

In his recent response to stunned reporters’ questions, Trump explained why mail-in voting made sense for him:

He was busy.
He was away. (That’s a lie, of course. See above.)
He had responsibilities.

In other words, he voted that way for the same reasons millions of Americans vote that way: working long hours, traveling for work, or juggling other responsibilities. These are people who can’t easily stand in line for hours on Election Day. Mail-in voting exists for them.

The unfiltered hypocrite Trump is trying to pass the SAVE Act, which would restrict access to the ballot, making it harder, not easier, for those same Americans to vote. Mail-in voting would be eliminated or subject to draconian conditions.

Let’s translate his hypocrisy into plain English:

“I should be allowed to vote by mail because my time matters.
You shouldn’t—because your vote threatens my agenda.”

Fraud for Thee, Convenience for Me

This isn’t about election integrity. It never was. It’s about convenience. And that’s exactly why Trump chooses to vote that way. Because he knows what every election official—Republican and Democrat—already knows:

Widespread mail-in voter fraud is a myth, one of many of Trump’s big lies.

Courts have said it.
Audits have confirmed it.
Trump’s own administration admitted it.

But the lie serves a purpose.

If he can convince enough people that the system is broken, he might convince them to authorize him to break it further.

His Real Target: Your Access to the Ballot

The SAVE Act and similar efforts aren’t about Security.

They’re about control:

Over who votes, how they vote, and preventing certain voters—disproportionately poor, minority, Elderly, or simply overworked—from voting at all.

Because when participation goes up, the GOP tends to lose. Instead of changing policies to win voters, they try to change the rules to limit them.

The Bottom Line

Donald Trump didn’t expose voter fraud. He exposed himself.

A man who:

• Calls mail-in voting “cheating”
• Uses it anyway
• Then tries to take it away from everyone else

That’s not leadership or principle. It’s not even subtle.

Let’s call it exactly what it is:

Raw, unfiltered hypocrisy.

Mark M. Bello is an attorney and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, ripped-from-the-headlines, realistic fiction that speaks truth to power and champions the rights of citizens in our justice system. These novels are dedicated to the social justice movement. They educate, spark discussion, and inspire readers to action. One of these was “Betrayal of Justice, a blistering novel about presidential misconduct and hypocrisy” For more information, please visit www.markmbello.com.

The post He Votes by Mail, but You Cheat appeared first on Lean to the Left.

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For many years, Bob Gatty worked as a writer, editor, and communications consultant, based on the Washington, DC area with a focus on government and politics. He began at The Pittsburgh Courier, an African American weekly, covering crime and the courts. His salary was $55 per week before moving on to two local Pennsylvania dailies. At age 24, he began reporting for United Press International covering state politics in Pennsylvania and then New Jersey, where he was UPI’s state capitol bureau in Trenton.

Tempted by the allure of Washington, DC and big-time politics, at age 29 Bob became press secretary and chief of staff for two Congressmen – first Republican Edwin B. Forsythe, and then Democrat James J. Florio, who later became governor of New Jersey and until his recent death was a frequent podcast guest and co-host of Bob’s NFN Radio News podcast (now called Lean to the Left).

After seven years on Capitol Hill, Bob opened a communications business in Washington, first providing political media consulting to candidates and then freelance Washington coverage for business and trade magazines, plus creative communications services for trade and professional associations, including social media. This work involved articles and analyses of key governmental developments affecting businesses, such as the food and Health industries, retailing, and the environment.

His work as a communications consultant to trade and professional associations included launching and editing association publications, providing website content and social media assistance, and covering conferences and conventions.

Bob retired from G-Net Strategic Communications in 2016 and moved to Myrtle Beach, SC, where he launched his blog site, first called Not Fake News, now known as Lean to the Left.

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