President Donald Trump defended voting by mail in a special election for a Florida state house seat this week, despite calling for a ban on the practice.
Trump was asked about his decision to utilize the practice during a televised Cabinet meeting on Thursday at the White House.
“I did, you know what, because I’m president of the United States, and because of the fact that I’m president of the United States, I did a mail-in ballot for elections that took place in Florida,” the president answered when asked during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting about how he voted. “I felt I should be here instead of being in the beautiful sunshine.”
“I decided that I was going to vote by mail-in ballot because I couldn’t be there, because I had a lot of different things,” he continued. “But you know, we have exceptions for mail-in ballots.”
The president said his decision to vote by mail was in line with his desire to see a nationwide ban implemented in almost all cases.
“If you’re away, we have an exception,” Trump said. “If you’re in the military, we have an exception. If you’re on a business trip, we have an exception. If you’re disabled, we have an exception. And if you’re ill, if you’re not feeling good. So I was away, mostly in Washington, D.C., so I used a mail-in ballot. But I appreciate the question because, I know, it was so well-meaning.”
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Over the years, Trump has repeatedly claimed that mail-in ballots are a rampant avenue for voter fraud. The president is pushing the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require an ID to cast a ballot, proof of citizenship to register to vote, and a prohibition on voting by mail.
You can watch Trump’s comments in full below.