Since Donald Trump’s first run for president, he has focused much of his election-related misinformation on the state of California.
He claimed there was fraud there in 2016, and 2018, and 2020, and 2024, and even in this year’s primary. And now, the president and his Department of Justice are targeting the state over (likely false) claims that it has noncitizen voters on its rolls.
This lawsuit is in part grounds for further interference after the election. See: Trump’s California lawsuit is meant to die — then be resurrected.
But one lingering question remains: Why California? It’s true that as the biggest state that frequently votes Democratic, it might be a natural target of Trump’s ire. But there are a few other reasons. First, California — and Los Angeles County in particular — is big. Interfering with that single county could potentially tip the balance of the House (there are 18 congressional districts that touch it in some way).
Second, California has a pattern of races taking a long time to call.
