‘Note of Clarification’: Wolf Blitzer Walks Back Comment on Trump Mail-In Ballot Order

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer walked back a comment he made erroneously suggesting President Donald Trump’s push to restrict mail-in voting would hinder military service members from casting their ballots.

Blitzer issued his “note of clarification” at the end of Monday edition of The Situation Room, three days after he made the suggestion while discussing the issue with Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).

After Spanberger said the president was trying to “eliminate” a “valid, safe, secure way” for Americans to vote, Blitzer jumped in and added: “And in Virginia, you have a lot of military personnel who totally rely on mail-in ballots if they want to be able to express their opinions.”

Blitzer on Monday admitted he botched it — Trump’s executive order does not change mail-in voting for troops.

The veteran host said:

We discussed legal challenges to the Trump administration’s directives to the Postal Service on mail-in voting. A comment I made suggested that U.S. military and overseas voters ballots would be impacted by these directives. I want to be clear right now: those ballots are exempt from the Postal Service’s new rules implementing the president’s March executive order.

Those groups are covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act, just to be specific on that point.

Spanberger, it should be noted, did not point out Blitzer was incorrect on Friday. Instead, she said his suggestion about military members was “true.”

“This is impacting certainly everyday Virginians for whom vote by mail might be a better option — Those with disabilities or constraints that preclude them from getting out of the house. And certainly those who are serving our country, particularly those overseas,” Spanberger said.

Watch Blitzer’s clarification at the top of the page; you can also watch the slice of his Spanberger interview he was referring to in the second clip, both via CNN.

Jason Cohen contributed to this story. 

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