On a press call with reporters, spokesmen for President-elect Donald Trump's transition team talked about the candidate's Electoral College win Monday. According to the New York Times, the total was 304 electors for Trump and 227 for Hillary Clinton, with two Trump electors switching to other Republicans and five Clinton electors breaking ranks (see below).
After reading Trump's statement, including the observation that he had "exceeded the 270 required to secure the presidency by a very large margin, far greater than ever anticipated by the media," they noted that Hillary Clinton had lost five electors in the process, three to Republican Colin Powell—former Secretary of State and father of NCTA: The Internet & Television Association president Michael Powell—one to Independent Bernie Sanders, who was Clinton's only challenger on the Democratic
side to go the distance, and one to Faith Spotted Eagle (an Native American activist).
They did not mention Trump's two defectors, who went to Ron Paul and John Kasich.
Spokesman Sean Spicer called it "the third defeat in a row for the Democrats," citing the first on election night (though Clinton did win the popular vote by several million), the second with their failed recount effort, in which Trump actually gained votes in Wisconsin, and now with the Electoral College win and despite "an effort by the left" to get electors to switch to Clinton—there were protests and a YouTube video from various TV stars and others asking electors to switch votes—they said, which wound up going "the exact opposite way."
Those TV stars, including Martin Sheen and Richard Schiff (West Wing), Debra Messing, Mike Farrell and Moby, suggested Trump lacked the stability and judgment to be President.
