Clinton and president spar on Twitter over ‘Google conspiracy’
More than 1,000 days after the US presidential election in 2016, President Donald Trump continues to dispute the result of the vote that he won.
Mr Trump, back from a week’s holiday at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Monday accused Google of manipulating the election.
He won the electoral college and hence the presidency, but lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by about three million votes. On Twitter, he claimed that the technology company inflated the number of votes received by his opponent.
“Wow, report just out. Google manipulated from 2.6 million to 16 million votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016 Election,” Mr Trump wrote. “This was put out by a Clinton supporter, not a Trump supporter. Google should be sued. My victory was even bigger than thought.”
He offered no evidence and appeared to be quoting psychologist Robert Epstein, who testified before the US Senate last month. Mr Epstein estimated that Google swayed between 2.6 million and 10.4 million votes.
“Biased search results generated by Google’s search algorithm likely impacted undecided voters in a way that gave at least 2.6 million votes to Hillary Clinton, whom I supported,” Mr Epstein claimed.
Mrs Clinton shot back three hours later and said the study was not scientific. She also talked about Russia’s part in the election.
“The debunked study you’re referring to was based on 21 undecided voters,” she tweeted.
“For context, that’s about half the number of people associated with your campaign who have been indicted.”
Mr Trump is running for a second term and a crowded field of Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination to face him.
Former vice president Joe Biden remains a front-runner, although Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren narrowed the margin in key early states.
The primary season starts in Iowa on February 3 but Democrats will face off in another televised debate on September 12.