‘Don’t Vote. We Got Plenty of Votes’ Trump Tells Supporters in Bizarre Rant as He Tells Fans to Watch Out for ‘Counting Trickery’ in 2024 Election

William FurneyOct 25, 2023

Minute Read

Donald Trump has done something almost no presidential hopeful — or any politician on the planet for that matter — has done before: he has told his fans not to vote for him in the presidential election next year.

Keeping an Eye Out

In remarks to supporters at a rally in New Hampshire on Monday, the former president said there were more than enough Trump voters elsewhere in the country, and that people in the Granite State would be better off watching out for any issues with the ballot.

‘Rigged’ 2020 Presidential Election

The president’s request was a clear reference to what happened at the previous presidential election, in 2020, which he lost to Joe Biden. Trump refused to accept defeat, insisting he had won the vote, which he branded “rigged” and “stolen” from him.

On Alert for Any Irregularities

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Trump told the New Hampshire crowd: “So we have to be careful. You gotta get out there and you got to watch those voters. You don’t have to vote — don’t worry about voting. The voting, we got plenty of votes; you gotta watch.”

Leading GOP Candidate

Trump is the favorite to win the Republican Party nomination to be its candidate in the presidential election in 2024, given he is around 50 percentage points ahead of his rivals, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose once-promising campaign has practically imploded over a series of missteps.

Trump Campaign Headwinds

But Trump faces serious obstacles in his quest to return to the White House in 2025. His most pressing problems are four indictments against him that carry a total of 91 federal charges. They relate to alleged election interference over the 2020 vote and mishandling of confidential government files. He is also embroiled in civil cases, including fraud at his property company, the Trump Organization, and alleged hush money payments to a former adult film star.

DeSantis Criticism

DeSantis Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said Trump’s remarks about watching votes being counted on election night were dangerous.

“This is the type of talk that loses elections,” he said on X, formerly called Twitter.

‘Watch the Counting’

Not everyone agreed with DeSantis, however. X user Chris Chambers, describing himself an “American 1st Conservative,” said:

“We need to vote, and we need to watch the vote counting. I assume it was a political calculation to deny massive Democrat election fraud, but if DeSantis is the nominee like we hope, you will not be able to deny the reality of Democrats doing what they do.”

‘No Chance’ DeSantis

Another X user, Franck Moore, said that given DeSantis’ poor polling performance, the governor had almost no chance of winning the Republican Party nomination.

“DeSantis is polling at 9 percent and fighting to remain No.2. His odds of winning the GOP primary against a former POTUS who has already proven his capabilities, willingness and courage to lead America to greatness and prosperity are slim to none,” he said, referencing with his acronym President of the United States.

A Mandela Comparison

Speaking at the same rally in New Hampshire, Trump compared himself to anti-apartheid icon and former South African president Nelson Mandela, while referring to his election interference case.

“If you want to challenge the result of an election, they hound you. But we don’t get scared — we don’t get scared. I’ll tell you what, I don’t mind being Nelson Mandela, because I’m doing it for a reason,” he said to enthralled supporters.

Indictment Denial

Addressing reporters ahead of the New Hampshire event, Trump astonished journalists by telling them he had never been indicted.

“This is all Biden stuff, all of these indictments that you see,” Trump said. “I was never indicted. You practically never heard the word. It wasn’t a word that registered.”

A Trump-Biden Contest?

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If Trump is nominated as the GOP candidate for the 2024 presidential election, it’s likely he will contest the race with President Biden, who has announced he is seeking a second term, along with his vice president, Kamala Harris — if they get the Democratic Party nod.

Biden and Trump Neck and Neck

Polling shows both Trump and Biden about equal in terms of voter support from their respective Republican and Democratic parties. Concerns linger about Biden’s candidacy, however, given his age — 80 — and recent fumbles, trips and stumbles while walking on stage, on the steps of Air Force One and in press conferences.