Trump claims without proof Democrats are ‘trying to steal’ California primaries

US president alleges there is ‘big cheating’ in elections for governor and Los Angeles mayor as results are pending

Donald Trump has alleged without evidence that Democrats are cheating in California’s primaries and claimed in a late-night social media post that the US attorney’s office in Los Angeles was investigating.

As counting continues in the most populous state in the US, the president’s unfounded remarks are likely to further alarm election observers, who have warned of the risk of escalating misinformation in the absence of a final result.