Democratic Attorneys General Prepare for Potential Election Interference by Trump
Democratic attorneys general are gearing up for what they anticipate could be an unprecedented level of interference from President Donald Trump in the upcoming midterm elections. With a sense of urgency, these legal strategists have been conducting extensive planning sessions, both in person and virtually, to devise countermeasures against a variety of alarming scenarios they fear could unfold this fall.
Their concerns range from the confiscation of ballots and voting machines to potential disruptions in mail delivery, orchestrated by stripping resources from the postal service. Additionally, they’re preparing for the unsettling possibility of military personnel and immigration agents being deployed to polling stations to intimidate voters. In response, they are drafting motions for temporary restraining orders aimed at safeguarding election materials and halting any militarized presence at voting sites.
As Trump asserts federal control over the electoral process and attempts to seize voter data while championing discredited claims of widespread fraud from 2020, Democratic attorneys general are meticulously monitoring his rhetoric for hints of his next moves. “Trump seems intent on ensuring his party prevails, seemingly at any cost,” noted California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “We must be prepared for that, which is a sad reality.”
Having previously confronted Trump’s attempts to undermine electoral integrity in court during the 2020 election, these attorneys general are now actively challenging the administration’s efforts to alter election procedures and access sensitive voter information ahead of a midterm election that could render Trump politically impotent.
Last spring, nineteen of these attorneys general united to file a lawsuit against the administration over Trump’s sweeping executive order aimed at changing voting regulations, much of which has since been blocked by the courts. Following the Justice Department’s deployment of election monitors to polling places in New Jersey and California last November, Bonta responded by sending his own observers to safeguard the integrity of the voting process.
However, recent actions by the Trump administration have ramped up concerns among these legal officials, with five attorneys general expressing heightened vigilance as November approaches. Earlier this month, Trump urged Republicans to “nationalize” voting and suggested federal intervention in election operations in predominantly Democratic cities like Atlanta, Detroit, and Philadelphia—locations that have historically been central to his conspiracy theories surrounding election fraud.
Compounding these worries, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem alarmed Democrats by announcing her department’s efforts to ensure “the right people are voting and electing the right leaders.” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, who leads the Democratic Attorneys General Association’s election protection initiative, described Trump’s rhetoric as a “red-alarm fire” that should be taken seriously. “He will try anything,” Brown stated, emphasizing the need for creative thinking in anticipating potential unconstitutional tactics Trump might employ to undermine an election.
In response to rising concerns, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson criticized Democrats for allegedly plotting to subvert “commonsense election integrity efforts” backed by a significant majority of Americans. She defended existing laws that empower the Department of Justice to ensure compliance with federal election standards, asserting that Trump is committed to fostering public confidence in electoral administration, including maintaining accurate voter rolls.
Democratic attorneys general, however, have dismissed the SAVE Act proposed by Trump as an attack on voting rights, urging Congress to reject it and similar measures. They are particularly apprehensive about the potential for ICE agents to intimidate legal voters at polling places, though ICE chief Todd Lyons recently testified that there is “no reason” for agents to be deployed in such a manner. Nevertheless, MAGA influencer Steve Bannon has encouraged Trump to take this step to prevent noncitizens from voting, despite the rarity of such occurrences.
When pressed about Bannon’s comments, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that while she couldn’t guarantee the absence of ICE agents at polling locations, she had not heard of any formal plans to station them there, dismissing the inquiry as “disingenuous.” Yet, the response did little to assuage Democratic fears.
“If the president instructed his ICE agents to protect American elections by standing guard at polling places, I have no doubt they would comply,” warned Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, referencing earlier incidents where immigration enforcement resulted in tragic outcomes. “We must be prepared for that scenario.”
Several attorneys general also expressed alarm following the FBI’s seizure of voting records in Fulton County, Georgia, which originated from an attorney’s referral who had worked with Trump to challenge the 2020 election results. They are now bracing for similar actions in other targeted areas where Trump has previously raised unfounded allegations of voter fraud.
These apprehensions are especially pronounced in pivotal states where elections could determine control of Congress. “What happened in Fulton County could easily happen in Detroit, not because there’s any validity to the claims of wrongdoing in Detroit, but because we know those claims will resurface,” stated Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Trump is acutely aware that Democrats cannot win statewide in Michigan without the votes from Detroit, so he seeks to undermine public confidence in the integrity of elections there, despite the lack of evidence supporting his claims.”
In states reliant on mail-in voting, Democrats are bracing themselves for an assault on a system that Trump aims to dismantle, despite its support among some GOP operatives and congressional members as a means of keeping voters engaged during non-presidential years. There are fears that Trump might weaponize the postal service by either blocking funding or installing allies to slow operations. His push to invalidate ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive later could disenfranchise voters in states with grace periods, with the Supreme Court set to review a case concerning ballot deadlines next month.
Meanwhile, Democratic attorneys general are gearing up to argue in a lower court next week in a multistate lawsuit aimed at permanently blocking key components of Trump’s executive order, which includes measures to cut off mail ballots and impose documentary proof of citizenship for national voter registration.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is co-leading the lawsuit alongside Bonta, urged his fellow attorneys general to “stay nimble.” He remarked, “Trump thrives on chaos, believing it will throw others off balance. But he has met his match in the Nevada attorney general’s office and among Democratic attorneys general nationwide.”
Elena Schneider contributed to this report.
