On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Laura Coates Live,” Michigan Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson (D) said that she’s worried that the National Guard in Washington, D.C. could have an impact on voter intimidation.
Host Laura Coates asked, “[Y]ou and I have spoken before about, as Secretary of State, the concern about voter intimidation and what that can look like, what that can feel like to voters, but also poll workers, election workers more broadly. As you know, several states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, they’re sending in the National Guard to Washington, D.C. as part of Trump’s federal takeover of police in that district. Now, we don’t know how long that would last. In the past, it has been longer, perhaps, or maybe could be in the future. Do you have concerns that the presence of the guards, as it stands, if it extends towards the election cycle, could have an impact on voter intimidation?”
Benson responded, “Potentially, sure, yes. And, to emphasize, I come from a military family. My husband served in Afghanistan in the Army, so I know, firsthand, also, the impact of this type of theatrics around our National Guard, the impact that that has on the men and women who are serving, who signed up to serve their country, to protect and defend freedoms and democracy. And now you see this misuse and abuse of that service in these instances. And so, to me, I think governors all around the country need to be talking about that and calling that out, and then also connecting the misuse of our military and our National Guard [as] a way to potentially even intimidate Americans, American citizens, from exercising their fundamental right to vote. Now, as we get closer to the midterms, we’re going to see how this escalates. But my hope is and my expectation is is that secretaries of state, attorneys general, and governors in the states will stand firm in protecting our voters, our citizens, from any types of theatrics or overuse and abuse of authority so that we can ensure, in 2026, the midterm elections go securely, safely, and reflect the will of the people.”
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