US congressman did not say Democrats may reject election result

"BREAKING: Jamie Raskin said, 'Let folks cast their votes for Trump if that’s their choice. But mark my words, we won't be certifying the election. He might win, but we'll ensure he doesn't step foot in the Oval Office,'" says a November 4, 2024 X post with more than 25,000 likes.

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Screenshot of an X post taken November 5, 2024

The claim circulated elsewhere on X, Threads and Facebook -- including in Spanish -- as Americans voted in the knife-edge election between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Trump.

Misinformation on social media continues to sow doubt in the integrity of the voting process, including false claims that ballots for Trump were destroyed in the swing state of Pennsylvania and that electronic voting machines were swapping selections in Georgia, another battleground state.

The latest narrative is also false.

A Raskin spokesperson directed AFP to a statement the Democratic congressman shared November 5 on X.

"This fictional 'quote' is 100% fabricated," the post says (archived here). "It's one more lie in the stream of right-wing lies designed to undermine our election. Despite this actionable libel and all the disinformation, America is having a free and fair election and Congress will certify the winner."

AFP found no credible news reports or evidence on Raskin's official social media pages that he made the comments shared online.

Raskin is quoted in a November 5 Daily Beast report as saying House Democrats would challenge election results if Trump tries to use any unlawful tactics, highlighting the former president's attempt to pressure the Georgia secretary of state to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.

"We will not go along with any fraud. We're going to stand up for a fair and honest election, as we always have," he told the outlet. 

In October, the congressman told Axios that if Trump "won a free, fair and honest election, then we would obviously accept it." But he said he suspects Trump may attempt to interfere in the process.

AFP has fact-checked other misinformation about the 2024 presidential election here.