Trump allegations of voter fraud 'based on studies and evidence'

Donald Trump's claim that millions of people voted illegally in last year's US election was based on "studies and evidence", the president's press secretary has said.

Sean Spicer told reporters Mr Trump had "believed" mass voter fraud "for a while", but refused to give examples of the evidence.

In a series of tweets in November, just weeks after election day, the then president-elect said he would have won the popular vote "if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally".

He also alleged that there had been "serious voter fraud" in Virginia, New Hampshire and California, and claimed the media was not reporting on it because of "serious bias".

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Spicer said: "The president does believe that (there was voter fraud).

"He has stated that before. I think he's stated his concerns of voter fraud and people voting illegally during the campaign and he continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him."

But when one reporter challenged Mr Spicer on the evidence, and put it to him that both Speaker Ryan and the National Association of Secretaries of State do not agree with the president's assessment, he replied: "As I've said, I think the president has believed that for a while, based on studies and information he has."

"He's believed this for a long, long time and I think he won fairly overwhelmingly."

The president's press secretary was then asked if the Trump administration would be investigating what one journalist suggested would be "the biggest scandal in American electoral history" if true.

Mr Spicer replied: "I think we will see where we go from here.

"But right now the focus that the president has is on putting Americans back to work. It was a comment that he made on a long-standing belief."