Trump calls on supporters to try to vote twice

AMERICA: President ramps up his attacks on mail-in ballots system ahead of election

Donald Trump has encouraged his supporters who vote by mail to cast two ballots in November’s presidential election – one by post and another in person – as a check to see if the mailed vote is counted.

“They’ll go out and they’ll vote and they’re going to have to go and check their vote by going to the poll and voting that way, because if it tabulates then they won’t be able to do that. So, let them send it in and let them go vote,” the president said in an interview in North Carolina.

“And if their system’s as good as they say it is, then obviously they won’t be able to vote. If it isn’t tabulated, they’ll be able to vote. So that’s the way it is, and that’s what they should do,” he said.

He made a similar appeal to supporters at the airport: “You can’t let them take your vote away.”

It came on a day Mr Trump sped through a VJ Day speech, trumpeting American strength and squeezing in a swipe at Democratic rival Joe Biden.

He stood before a famous Second World War battleship to declare the port city of Wilmington a “Heritage City”. He pointed to a bolt of lightning and said it was God saluting the event.

He honoured war veterans including 97-year-old Hershel “Woody” Williams, the sole surviving marine from the war to receive the Medal of Honour after he served in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

“He’s 100% sharp,” Mr Trump said of Mr Williams, who had travelled to the key battleground state with the president aboard Air Force One.

Picture: Shutterstock. Donald Trump takes his re-election campaign to Wilmington, North Carolina.