Is Voter Fraud Real? Mike Pence Says In Leaked Audio That Trump Administration Is Planning 'Full Evaluation'

In an audio obtained by the Guardian, presumably recorded at the GOP's retreat on Jan. 26, Vice President Mike Pence can be heard saying that the Trump administration will "initiate a full evaluation of voting rolls in the country and the overall integrity of our voting system in the wake of this past election."

Earlier this week, Trump pledged there would be proper investigations on voter fraud, based on claims that between 3 and 5 million votes were cast illegally. According to the Guardian, the leaked audio captured a conversation between Pence and Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks, who said Trump was "spot on" in his demands for an investigation.

Trump is expected to sign an executive order on voter fraud sometime next week. The signing was originally set for Thursday afternoon but has since been delayed.

"We’ll be looking at ways to work with you and follow the facts and see where the facts go," Pence reportedly told Brooks.

Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, described Trump's effort to reporters on Wednesday as an attempt "to understand where the problem exists, how deep it goes." He also indicated that the potential fraud had only happened in "the bigger states."

Trump won the electoral college in November but lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes. He later claimed, without any evidence, that millions of "illegal" immigrants had voted during the elections.

In two tweets earlier this week, Trump spoke about voter fraud, stating that if required, he would "strengthen up" the voting procedures in the country.

However, the president and the vice president's statements on voter fraud have been condemned by both Democrats and Republicans who have argued that the allegations could hurt voters' confidence in the electoral process.

Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, urged Trump to avoid making these kinds of statements, saying: "I wasn’t there, but if the president of the United States is claiming that 3.5 million people voted illegally, that shakes confidence in our democracy – he needs to disclose why he believes that."