Grand Theft America / Receipt power-2026-06-23-098
Trump says he told the US attorney to 'do me a favor' and look at California's election
At a rally in Macungie, Pennsylvania, President Trump said he had personally called the US attorney in California and told him 'Do me a favor. Take a look, they are trying to steal that election, too,' after early results showed his endorsed candidate trailing in the state's gubernatorial primary; Democracy Docket reports he was referring to Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in central California.
What happened
Democracy Docket reports Trump made the admission on Tuesday 23 June 2026 and that it was not previously known that he personally ordered the investigations, although he had hailed them on social media. On 5 June, Essayli announced the US Attorney's Office in Los Angeles was probing California's elections. Trump also claimed at the rally that his intervention was the reason Steve Hilton advanced, saying 'Had I not made that call, Steve Hilton would right now be watching the election from home.' Essayli's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. States Newsroom, reporting the same remarks on 29 June 2026, says it is not clear which US attorney received the call, when exactly he placed it, or whether it occurred.
Why it matters
The president describes ordering a named United States attorney to open an investigation into a specific election in which he had endorsed a candidate, and describes the result as his own doing. Democracy Docket reports that in reality Hilton finished second because more votes were counted, and that early electoral returns do not determine final results.
Receipt details
- Phase 2
- Turn law enforcement inward
- Lean on the prosecutors' charging decisions
