Trump's attacks on mail-in ballots rankle some military vets

President Donald Trump has held himself up as a champion of U.S. troops without rival. Now, with his presidency on the line, he’s casting suspicion on a tool of participatory democracy — the mail-in ballot — that has allowed U.S. military personnel to vote while serving far from home since the War of 1812.

The president has shouted from Twitter to “STOP THE COUNT” and leveled unsubstantiated charges that “surprise ballot dumps” after election night are helping rival Democrat Joe Biden “steal” the election.

All the while, Trump insists that military voters’ mail-in ballots must be counted. He even suggested on Friday — without presenting evidence — that some troops’ mail-in ballots have gone “missing.”