President Donald Trump’s elections legislation remains stalled in Congress. But his Thursday night primetime address contained hints of where he might take his whole-of-government approach to asserting control over American elections.
The president pointed to a trove of newly declassified documents as proof that American elections are at risk from foreign influence and that the infrastructure they rely on is vulnerable to hacking. He furthermore characterized his own intelligence community as purposefully withholding information about Chinese efforts to influence elections.
The documents, some of which remain heavily redacted, tread on well-worn ground while adding new information to ongoing public debates. They do not provide proof that elections were rigged or votes were changed.
But the broader speech offered a glimpse into how the president could pursue an election-reform agenda even if his preferred method — the SAVE America Act — fails to become law. Throughout the address, the president peppered his remarks with orders to various law enforcement and government agencies, many of which are staffed with controversial loyalists.
Investigating alleged cover-up by the intelligence community
The president said he was asking the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Department of Justice, FBI and CIA to investigate claims he unveiled Thursday that “rogue bureaucrats” kept intelligence about China’s election influencing efforts out of his daily briefings.
Trump said that, for example, intelligence about voter data across 18 states had been “bought, stolen or hacked by China.”
“Yet those responsible for sounding the alarm instead kept the information secret and hidden,” the president said.
He asked the agencies to fire anyone involved in the “cover-up” and to file relevant criminal charges — seemingly in connection with the vaguely described “significant numbers of burn bags information” that the president said his administration uncovered.
One document released Thursday shows intelligence officials debating how to discuss Chinese election influence records, and a previously released review of the 2020 election completed at the end of Trump’s first term said China had ultimately chosen not to influence the election, noting a minority opinion that China had taken at least some steps to undermine Trump.
Reviving probe of Michigan GOTV nonprofit
An FBI investigation into an alleged scheme to deliver voter registration forms in Michigan ahead of the 2020 election was “slow-walked and killed” by the Biden administration, Trump said, adding that he would ask the FBI to “ensure the matter is fully investigated.”
State police raided the office of the Democratic-aligned firm GBI Strategies in October 2020 after a Muskegon, Michigan, city clerk noticed irregularities in a batch of voter registration applications including incorrect birth dates. State election officials later said that no votes were cast using the botched forms, and no charges were filed.
Trump requested that FBI Director Kash Patel work with DOJ to “prosecute those responsible for any crimes.”
Reviewing noncitizens on states’ voter rolls
Trump also ordered the Department of Homeland Security to notify states about any noncitizens on their list of registered voters, and subsequently direct states to remove ineligible voters.
The president said in his speech that a department review, paired with state and public records, had identified approximately 278,000 noncitizens registered to vote in federal elections across four states.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday threatened state election officials with prosecution if they did not act. But election officials are skeptical of the methods that the DHS used to allege hundreds of thousands of noncitizen registered voters, arguing it is likely an overcount.
Patching technical vulnerabilities
Trump also said DHS would be working with states and local governments to identify and remedy cyber vulnerabilities present in voting infrastructure. The administration is in the process of informing governors and Congress members about potential issues, he added.
“If you look at voting today, it’s in such bad shape in so many states, and we are committing to fix it and we’re also committing to be working with those states and local jurisdictions to help them fix and patch known technical vulnerabilities before the midterm elections,” Trump said.
Trump characterized these executive efforts, however, as mere complements to overhauling election security through passing the SAVE America Act in Congress. But the bill has languished for months on the Hill even amid increasing pressure from the president.
“The only reason you wouldn’t do it is you want to cheat,” Trump said.
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