Before midterms, Trump offers $1 million bounty in voter fraud campaign

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 — US President Donald Trump declared on Monday a $1 million (RM4.08 million) incentive for information regarding voter fraud, in an attempt to cast doubt prior to the upcoming US midterms and reinforce his false assertion of winning the 2020 election. Trump announced this on his Truth Social platform, stating, "Anybody reporting Voter Fraud in the past Elections, or the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election, will be paid $1,000,000 upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the Fraud!"

However, the president did not provide specifics on the funding or administration of the reward. With the November 3 elections just eight days away, recent polls indicate Democrats are gaining ground as Republicans strive to maintain control of both chambers of Congress. A Democratic win would potentially hinder Trump's agenda and subject his administration to congressional probes during his remaining presidential term.

Trump has persistently spread unfounded claims of election fraud, including his assertion that he won the 2020 presidential election. Research consistently shows voter fraud to be exceedingly uncommon, especially non-citizen voting, which is already prohibited in federal elections. Trump's declaration comes after a string of startling pre-election pledges, including a proposal to pay every US adult citizen $5,000 if Republicans retain both chambers, a plan estimated to cost over $1 trillion and necessitating congressional approval.

He has also linked veterans' compensation for those affected by contaminated water at a North Carolina military base to a Republican victory. The Justice Department has also filed a lawsuit to prevent Alaska from certifying its Senate election results should Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan lose, arguing potential voter confusion over another individual with the same name.

Trump confirmed personally authorizing the lawsuit, although his attorney general denied seeking to invalidate the election outcome.