Donald Trump Raises Fear of Voter Intimidation, Experts Say 'Rigging' an Election Is Basically Impossible and More

While Hillary Clinton is preparing for Wednesday night's third and final presidential debate, Donald Trump is opting to take his pitch for a rigged election across the country and across social media in what could be a theme for the Republican nominee during tonight's face-off.

Although President Obama called on Trump to "stop whining and go try to make his case to get votes," the Republican presidential nominee continues to insist the election is fixed, but he also ramped up his talk of voter fraud as a major problem.

"Voter fraud is all too common, and then they criticize us for saying that," Trump said at a Tuesday rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "But take a look at Philadelphia, what’s been going on, take a look at Chicago, take a look at St. Louis. Take a look at some of these cities, where you see things happening that are horrendous."

Although Trump has made a call to “get everybody to go out and watch” the polls this November, there seems to be no organized effort at this point. But that's almost what makes it more dangerous: the possibility that vigilantes attempting to serve up their own brand of election justice could surface.

Top Stories

Donald Trump’s Call to Monitor Polls Raises Fears of Intimidation: "Warning darkly of a stolen election, Donald J. Trump has called on supporters to turn out in droves on Election Day to monitor polling places, telling them they need to be vigilant against widespread voter fraud and a rigged outcome." (The New York Times)

Can You Rig a U.S. Presidential Election? Experts Say It’s Basically Impossible: "Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, behind in the polls, has started claiming that the election will be stolen from him because it is 'rigged.' When Trump talks about the election being stolen from him, he seems to be referring to a range of issues, from voter fraud to the media being allied against him. He also said this week that he expects more than a million 'deceased individuals' to vote against him." (The Washington Post)

'Stop Whining,' President Obama Advises Donald Trump: "At this point, President Obama is clearly just plain fed up with Donald Trump. If that hasn't been obvious in Obama's comments over the past week or so, you should have heard him Tuesday. 'I'd advise Mr. Trump to stop whining and go try to make his case to get votes,' Obama said from the White House, calling out the Republican presidential nominee during a joint news conference alongside Italy's prime minister." (Patch)

Donald Trump Suggests Paul Ryan Isn't Helping Because 'Maybe He Wants to Run' in 2020: "Republican nominee Donald Trump hinted in an interview aired on Tuesday that House Speaker Paul Ryan may be hoping for his downfall because of Ryan's own 2020 presidential ambitions. When asked by ABC News before a Monday night campaign event in Green Bay, Wisconsin, whether he thinks Ryan wanted him to win the presidency, Trump responded, 'Well, maybe not, because maybe he wants to run in four years or maybe he doesn’t know how to win.'" (Patch)

Watch Live Stream: Third Presidential Debate Between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton

From the Twitterverse

Perhaps debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News is taking a moment to ask what he got himself into:

On the Radar

• Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will face off at tonight's third and final presidential debate in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Mike Pence will hold a rally in Colorado.
• Tim Kaine will campaign in Ohio and North Carolina.

Today's Numbers

• 19 days until Election Day 2016.
• Saudi Arabia will sell $17.5 billion in bonds to global investors to solve their deficits as oil prices continue to plummet.
• Russia accuses U.S.-led coalition strike of killing 6 civilians in Syria.
• The L.A. Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 Tuesday night, making for two shutouts in a row.

Quote of the Day

Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway "mystified" as to why Clinton isn't further ahead:

“She has so many advantages. She has endless money. She’s got a lot of the media. She has a very popular president and first lady campaigning for her… I will tell you, I am mystified as to why she can’t get to those 52, 53 percent numbers in some of these states given the disadvantages we’re handed every day.”

Allen McDuffee is a politics and policy reporter, investigative journalist, blogger and podcast host. He has written for The Atlantic, Wired and The Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter: @AllenMcDuffee

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons