First Lady Melania Trump Calls for Counting ‘Every Legal—Not Illegal—Vote’

President Donald Trump claps alongside First Lady Melania Trump after speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington, early on Nov. 4, 2020. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

First Lady Melania Trump said Sunday that every legally cast vote should be counted, implying her husband still has a chance at holding on to the presidency.

“The American people deserve fair elections. Every legal—not illegal—vote should be counted,” the first lady wrote in a social media post.

“We must protect our democracy with complete transparency,” she added.

The missive came after an anonymously-sourced report claimed the first lady was urging President Donald Trump to concede to Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

It referenced the difference in position by Republicans and Democrats. The former are pushing to crack down on election fraud by invalidating some ballots, while Democrats insist the level of fraud is small and say every vote should count.

Biden was projected to win the 2020 election by a number of media organizations, but legal battles concerning votes are still playing out in crucial battleground states, including Pennsylvania. The U.S. Supreme Court last week ordered the Keystone State to segregate mail ballots that arrived after Election Day as justices mull how to rule on a lawsuit concerning the votes.

Biden has declared victory but President Trump disputed the declaration, noting the legal challenges and ongoing ballot counting.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill, and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her husband Doug, celebrate at an election rally in Wilmington, Del., on Nov. 7, 2020. Jim Bourg/Reuters

“The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,” Trump said in a statement.

The Nov. 8 statement was Melania Trump’s first regarding voting since Election Day.

Last week, she posted about her Be Best program, which seeks to improve the lives of children in America by teaching them the importance of social, emotional, and physical health.

The first lady cast her vote on Nov. 3 in Florida, where she and the president are registered.

Asked why she did not vote with the president the week prior, she said, “It’s Election Day, so I wanted to come here to vote today for the election.”