Prank calls flood Trump’s hotline for voter fraud

11/10/20 By Carol Rangel

Courtesy of Gage Skidmore via Courtesy Commons

President Donald Trump’s campaign voter fraud hotline became the target of a new trend among internet pranksters. Staffers have been answering prank calls from TikTokers and comedians since the launch of the hotline on Election Day. 

The hotline was created with the intent to record instances of voter fraud reported by callers, which was especially significant for Trump’s efforts to legally contest President-elect Joe Biden’s win. 

The hotline has failed to meet its goal but does not lack phone calls. Prank callers, however, do not report voter fraud, rather, they participate in a viral campaign shared on TikTok and Twitter to mock Trump’s failure to reelect. 

The pranks have ranged from brief laughter sessions, playing vulgar anti-Trump music, to elaborated jokes and manufactured stories. 

Alex Hirsch, the creator of the TV show “Gravity Falls,” joined the trend by describing a man he alleged had seen walking into a polling place who matched the description of McDonald’s Hamburglar.

“And he was saying, ‘Robble, robble,’ as he was exiting the building,” Hirsch reported. “Like a burglar. You know, I think he’s probably antifa.”

Eric Trump, the President’s son, reacted to the pranks and blamed the Democratic Party for the comotion. 

“The @DNC is spamming our voter fraud hotline to bog down the thousands of complaints we are receiving!” Trump said via Twitter on Nov. 6. “Wonder what they have to hide.”

This is not the first time the President’s campaign has been the target of a TikTok trend. K-Pop fans within the app teamed up to falsely RSVP to one of Trump’s rallies in the summer, the result was an audience turn-out far smaller than expected by the campaign. 

The hotline is still running despite the flood of prank calls as Trump continues to grasp for information to condemn his competitor – the newly elected President Elect Joe Biden.