January 25, 2017 - 17:56 AMT
Trump announces "major investigation" into voter fraud

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted early Wednesday, January 25 that he is ordering a "major investigation" into voter fraud, revisiting unsubstantiated claims he's made repeatedly about a rigged voting system, The Associated Press reports.

The investigation, he said, will look at those registered to vote in more than one state, "those who are illegal and...even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time)."

Depending on results, Trump tweeted, "we will strengthen up voting procedures!"

"He believes what he believes based on the information he was provided," said Trump's spokesman, Sean Spicer, who provided no evidence to back up the president's statements.

If the president's claim were true it would mark the most significant election fraud in U.S. history — and ironically, would raise the same questions about Trump's legitimacy that he's trying to avoid. Yet Spicer repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether the Trump administration would investigate the allegations pushed by the president.