Trump and Spencer Pratt push rigging claims in LA

As Los Angeles’ mayoral vote count tightens and Nithya Raman moves up, President Donald Trump and Spencer Pratt’s circle have amplified conspiracy claims about rigged results—despite no evidence. The dispute has played out on social media as mail-in ballots co

Sunday night, as the math began to look less favorable for Spencer Pratt, he posted about it anyway.

Pratt. a former reality star running in Los Angeles’ mayoral vote count. pointed to what he said was a “net swing of more than 43. 000 votes since Tuesday” and questioned whether he’d “seen that number before.” His post on X retweeted a report claiming Nithya Raman was leading Pratt by about that many votes. He added: “Probably nothing.”.

Attached to his post was a screenshot tying that vote number to a separate claim about Los Angeles homelessness—an image that promoted the idea that election fraud was behind the shift. even though the article he shared contained no evidence for that conclusion. Pratt had been ahead earlier on election night, but Raman surged as mail-in ballots were counted.

By Monday, Raman was in second place with 27.1% of votes counted so far, while Pratt was at 26.7%. Both candidates are in the same nonpartisan mayoral election that will be decided in November. where Raman is expected to face incumbent Karen Bass. The backdrop for the argument is a voting system that often makes results take longer than in other states: California is estimated to have about 80% of voters casting by mail. Ballots will continue to be accepted until Tuesday, and the counting process must be completed and certified within 30 days.

Trump entered the dispute Monday afternoon. endorsing Pratt and posting that it was “not possible” for him to have lost the “L.A. runoffs” after his earlier lead. On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had.” He then went further. calling the election “Rigged Elections!” and predicting delays—claiming that officials may not produce results for. “possibly. TWO WEEKS.”.

Trump’s post also referenced Steve Hilton, who is running as a Republican in the state’s gubernatorial race. The allegation of rigging, however, runs against the pace of California’s normal election process and the lack of proof presented in the social posts driving it.

Harry Enten. a data analyst who discussed vote timing. said any talk of a rigged election is the “dumbest conspiracy theory” he’d ever heard. In his view. if establishment Democrats had tried to rig outcomes. Pratt would have advanced—giving Bass a better chance of remaining mayor. since Bass is the establishment choice.

The political pressure around those claims is personal as much as it is procedural. Polling cited in the coverage suggests Bass would beat Pratt by 18 points. but if Bass faces Raman instead. the race might tilt against her. Enten also tied Trump’s endorsement to risk for Pratt. pointing to how many Los Angeles residents disapprove of Trump and how only 15% of LA voters are registered as Republicans.

The conspiracy narrative didn’t stop with Pratt and the president. Benny Johnson. a far-right commentator. also promoted a version of the story on X. falsely saying Raman conceded the race on election night and was in a “historically insurmountable” third place. In Raman’s election night remarks, she did not concede. She instead said that “many thousands of votes may be counted in the days ahead. and we may not get an answer we like.”.

Elon Musk amplified the same strain of the story, responding to Johnson by writing: “They forgot to inform their puppet.”

In Los Angeles. where the final tally depends on mail-in ballots that can still be accepted until Tuesday and certified within 30 days. the conflict is already taking on a familiar shape: a vote count moving through a routine process. and a political ecosystem reacting as if the outcome must be the result of something sinister. For Pratt’s supporters, the switch in percentages is treated like proof. For others watching the mechanics of California elections. it reads like the predictable part of counting—one that hasn’t even finished yet.

Donald Trump Spencer Pratt Nithya Raman Karen Bass Los Angeles mayoral election nonpartisan election mail-in ballots election fraud conspiracy Truth Social X California vote count