FACT CHECK: Trump Falsely Claims That Votes Shouldn't Be Counted After Election Day

President Trump is doubling down on claims that the results of the presidential election must be known on election night itself, falsely asserting "that's the way it's been and that's the way it should be."

Speaking to reporters after arriving in North Carolina on Sunday evening during a campaign swing, Trump repeatedly called a recent Supreme Court decision on absentee ballots "terrible." The decision allows election officials in Pennsylvania to count absentee ballots received as late as Friday, as long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3.

The president denied that he would try to declare victory prematurely.

But then he still raised doubts about counting votes beyond Election Day, even though in any election, it typically takes longer to count absentee ballots that by law count just the same as votes cast in person. More of those ballots are being cast this year because of the pandemic.

"I think it's a terrible thing when people or states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over," Trump said. "I think it's terrible when we can't know the results of an election the night of the election in a modern-day age of computers," he added.