Robert Reich Fears Trump Will Pull This ‘Dirty’ Trick On Election Night

Robert Reich, who was labor secretary under President Bill Clinton, warned of the “dirty Trump trick” that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may pull on election night next week, adding that “it doesn’t work if you know it’s coming.”
The former president will likely attempt to “exploit something elections experts call the Red Mirage to prematurely declare victory before all the votes are counted,” Reich explained in a new video posted on his YouTube channel.
The “red mirage,” the former Cabinet member noted, is when Republicans “appear to take an early lead” due to the different times votes are counted (because of population densities, for example) but which then gets “smaller throughout the night,” which is dubbed the “blue shift.”
On election night in 2020, Trump “pretended the blue shift was surprising and suspicious” and falsely declared victory but there was “nothing miraculous or secret about it,” said Reich.
Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.
Can’t afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
The neck-and-neck nature of the 2024 race between Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris means it’s highly likely Trump will “appear to be ahead and, again, use that early lead to falsely claim victory,” he said.
“Mirages can be confusing, but if you know what they are, you won’t be fooled by them,” he added.