President Donald Trump defended the concept of the presidential electoral college on Wednesday, arguing that it was a better way to balance power.
“With the Popular Vote, you go to just the large States – the Cities would end up running the Country,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Smaller States & the entire Midwest would end up losing all power – and we can’t let that happen.”
Democrats running for president in 2020 have argued that the electoral college should be abolished after key midwest states supported Trump for president, allowing him to beat Hillary Clinton, despite Clinton winning the popular vote.
“The brilliance of the Electoral College is that you must go to many States to win,” Trump wrote after he campaigned heavily in traditionally Democrat states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania in 2016.
Trump said his campaign would be different if he was running for president to win the popular vote, admitting that he used to like the idea of winning by a popular vote.
“Campaigning for the Popular Vote is much easier and different than campaigning for the Electoral College,” he wrote. “It’s like training for the 100 yard dash vs. a marathon.”
Trump mocked Democrats for their “strange” proposals to change the rules of elections and politics so that it was easier to win.
“They now want to change the voting age to 16, abolish the Electoral College, and Increase significantly the number of Supreme Court Justices,” he wrote. “Actually, you’ve got to win it at the Ballot Box!”