Key facts
- Donald Trump's administration is releasing documents and making statements to sow doubt about US election integrity.
- Allies of Trump, including Steve Bannon, have predicted he may declare a national emergency to control elections.
- Experts state such a declaration would not supersede constitutional restrictions on election administration.
- The White House task force has released declassified intelligence memos and investigative files.
- Recent disclosures about non-citizens registering to vote, including a New Jersey software error, are being used to fuel claims of widespread issues.
Concerns are intensifying among voting experts that Donald Trump's administration is laying the groundwork to declare a national emergency, potentially to exert greater control over the upcoming US midterm elections. This follows a series of actions and statements by Trump and his allies aimed at sowing distrust in the integrity of US elections.
Trump himself has repeatedly claimed that US elections are vulnerable to foreign manipulation and reiterated false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. His former political strategist, Steve Bannon, has predicted that Trump will declare a state of emergency on national security grounds to "protect" elections, suggesting a specific timeframe in late August.
However, experts argue that such a declaration would not override constitutional limitations on executive power regarding election administration. No president has previously attempted to use an emergency declaration to control voting processes. Trump has not explicitly denied the possibility of such a move, stating "stranger things have happened."
The administration's efforts include the release of declassified documents by a White House "Government Transparency Task Force." These documents, from agencies like the ODNI, NSA, CIA, and DHS, address electronic voting machine vulnerabilities, foreign access to voter data, and foreign digital manipulation strategies. Much of this information was already publicly known and did not provide evidence of Beijing altering the 2020 vote.
Trump and his allies have also seized upon recent disclosures, such as an announcement from New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill regarding a software error that led to 6,600 non-citizens registering to vote. While fewer than 400 of them actually voted, this incident has been used to amplify unsubstantiated claims of widespread noncitizen voting. The DHS subsequently released a notice suggesting a need for standardized federal oversight.
Further declassifications include investigative files related to Chinese intelligence and a case involving former US Representative Eric Swalwell. Additionally, the US Census Bureau released a brief claiming to have identified 24,000 noncitizens voting in the 2020 election, a finding that has been sharply criticized by democracy advocates for its methodology and lack of transparency.
Legal experts suggest the administration is searching for a legal basis for such an executive order, but believe one does not exist, asserting that US elections are secure and claims of widespread noncitizen voting are unfounded. Progressive organizations and Democratic members of Congress are reportedly preparing for potential executive provocations, including scenarios involving AI-generated disinformation and the dispatch of ICE agents to polling stations.