Donald Trump gives closing argument, rails against ‘phony’ polls

As Americans headed to the polls on Election Day morning, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump looked back on his turbulent campaign and beseeched voters to support him.

He returned to a familiar place: “Fox & Friends,” the show that used to feature him weekly and has often hosted him throughout the campaign.

On Tuesday morning, the show’s hosts asked the real estate tycoon what his final words to the American people would be if presidential elections were structured more like a day in court with attorneys making their closing arguments before the jury makes a decision.

Trump proceeded to rattle off some of his talking points from his stump speech.

“Well, I have a lot of things to say. We have to build up our military; it’s depleted. We have to take care of our vets. We have to make strong borders. We have to make great trade deals,” Trump replied. “And we have to terminate Obamacare, have to terminate it. We’re going to come up with great health care at a fraction of the cost, much better and much less expensive. Save our Second Amendment and remember the Supreme Court.”

Brian Kilmeade, a co-host of “Fox & Friends,” asked Trump if he would still consider the entire campaign a “total waste of time” — as he’s said many times on the campaign trail — if he loses to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Trump responded that he has consulted with 17 “great professionals” and “very top people” who told him that his campaign has been a victory regardless of the election outcome.

“Even your friend [Fox News’] Bill O’Reilly said it’s the greatest political phenomenon in his lifetime. There’s never been a movement,” Trump continued. “So they said, ‘No, no, even if you don’t win.’ I said, ‘Let me tell you, if I don’t win, I will consider it a tremendous waste of time, energy and money.’ I will have spent over $100 million on my own campaign.” (Records show he has given his campaign far less than $100 million.)

Many recent polls show that Clinton enjoys a slim but significant lead over Trump. “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy asked Trump to address these poll numbers and whether he thinks pollsters are failing to take extenuating factors — such as Republican enthusiasm — into account.

Without offering evidence, Trump alleged that many polls showing him behind were fixed against him. Throughout his campaign, Trump has frequently accused the political system, media and even the public surveys (when they show him behind) of conspiring against him.

“I do think a lot of the polls are purposefully wrong. I think I can almost tell you by the people that do it,” he said. “The media is very dishonest, extremely dishonest. And I think a lot of the polls are phony. I don’t even think they interview people,” Trump said. “I think they just put out phony numbers. I do think this.”

The RealClearPolitics average of recent polls, as of Tuesday morning, gives Clinton a 3.2-point edge over Trump nationally.