Trump once called the Electoral College 'a disaster for democracy.' He just won the White House because of it.

As Steven Dennis of Bloomberg reminds us, President-elect Donald Trump had a very different attitude about the Electoral College on election night in 2012, when he briefly believed that President Obama would win re-election while losing the national popular vote to Mitt Romney.
This was because Obama had been projected as the winner based in part on exit polls in the large Democratic stronghold of California, while hardly any actual votes there had yet to be counted. When the outstanding votes from California and other states were counted, Obama had indeed won the national popular vote.
And that wasn't all. Trump also posted a series of tweets — which he deleted soon afterwards, when it became clear Obama would win the national vote — calling for outright resistance, such as: "We can't let this happen. We should march on Washington and stop this travesty. Our nation is totally divided!"; and also, "More votes equals a loss…revolution!"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Political experts are projecting that Trump will have lost the national popular vote to Hillary Clinton in this year's election — while winning in the Electoral College thanks to his narrow victories in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Eric Kleefeld
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
July 20 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include AI replacing workers, and Donald Trump trying to divert media attention away from the Epstein files
-
5 suspiciously good cartoons about the Epstein files
Cartoons Artists take on the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein
-
A glorious Greek island without the 'swank'
The Week Recommends Lesbos doesn't welcome 'hoards' of tourists, but is 'magnificent' and worth exploring
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein
-
Fed chair Powell in Trump's firing line
Speed Read The president considers removing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
-
Trump trashes supporters over Epstein files
speed read The president lashed out on social media following criticism of his administration's Jeffrey Epstein investigation
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
US inflation jumps as Trump tariffs 'bite'
Speed Read Consumer prices are climbing and the inflation rate rose to its highest level in four months
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department