Trump says LA mayor election ‘rigged’ as CNN calls claim ‘dumbest conspiracy theory’
"Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had," Trump posted.
Ryan Cooper 
President Donald Trump made waves on Monday by declaring that Republican Spencer Pratt’s fall in the Los Angeles mayoral primary is physically impossible. Trump took to social media to allege that the vote-counting process was rigged to benefit two Democrats, intensifying his ongoing rhetoric regarding election integrity.
Trump Challenges LA Election Results
"Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had. 3rd World Nation. Rigged Elections!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post earlier this week. The Trump-backed reality television star had maintained a steady lead until Monday morning, when Democratic City Councilwoman Nithya Raman overtook his tally.
Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has already secured a spot on the general election ballot following last Tuesday’s nonpartisan primary. According to the Associated Press, the race to determine who will face Bass in the November runoff remains too close to call.
Gubernatorial Primary Claims
Beyond the mayoral race, Trump also pointed to California’s gubernatorial primary, casting doubt on the timeline of the results. Referring to GOP candidate Steve Hilton, who currently sits in second place in the gubernatorial jungle primary, Trump warned, "Now they’ll be working on great guy Steve Hilton. Won’t have results for, possibly, TWO WEEKS, according to officials."
CNN Pushes Back
CNN’s Harry Enten hit back at these claims on Monday, labeling the narrative "the dumbest conspiracy I have ever heard." Enten suggested that the conspiracy theories ignore political reality, specifically noting that Bass, the establishment-backed candidate, would theoretically prefer to face the Republican Pratt rather than the surging Raman.
Enten cited Los Angeles Times polling showing that Bass holds a comfortable 18-point lead over Pratt, while her lead shrinks to just 4 points when matched against Raman. "They don’t want any part of Nithya Raman," Enten stated, dismissing the claims as nonsensical. "That’s why these conspiracy theorists, simply put, make no sense, people!"
