As Trump’s poll numbers continue to slide, it seems that the possibility of defeat head wormed its way through the armor of Trump’s hubris. In the past week or two he has consistently bought up the specter of election fraud as the only possible reason that he could lose.

Last night in Altoona, PA he addressed a medium sized crowd at a rally, assuring them that he knew “what’s happening here” and that he would win the important swing state of Pennsylvania.

I looked over Pennsylvania and I’m studying it. And we have some great people here. Some great leaders here of the Republican Party, and they’re very concerned about that, and that’s the way we can lose the state, and we have to call up law enforcement, and we have to have the sheriffs and the police chiefs and everybody watching.

If we get cheated out of this election, if we get cheated out a win in Pennsylvania, which is such a vital state. Especially when I know what’s happening here folks. I know she can’t beat what’s happening here. The only way they can beat it, in my opinion, and I mean this 100%, if in certain sections of the state they cheat.

“We’re gonna watch Pennsylvania. Go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people don’t come in and vote five times,” he said earlier in the speech. “The only way we can lose, in my opinion – and I really mean this, Pennsylvania – is if cheating goes on. I really believe it.”

Trump is worried that Pennsylvania’s voter laws do not require a photo ID to vote. “So I hope you people can sort of not just vote on the 8th,” he said, then asked his supporters to act as spies. “Go around and look and watch other polling places and make sure that it’s 100% fine, because without voter identification – which is shocking, shocking that you don’t have it.” Trump provided no evidence of voter fraud, or any reason to believe that “irregularities” were happening.

A new Quinnipiac poll has Donald Trump trailing by ten points in Pennsylvania, 52 to 42. Five Thirty Eight blog has Clinton projected at 49.6% with Trump at 41%, and give Trump just a 12% chance of winning Pennsylvania. It seems much more realistic to say that the only way that Trump could win Pennsylvania is through cheating.

Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/13/donald-trump-claims-cheating-is-only-way-he-can-lose-pennsylvania
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/12/politics/donald-trump-pennsylvania-cheating/

http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/pennsylvania/