Donald Trump has announced a $1 million reward for reports of voter fraud in past and upcoming midterm elections, with payment conditional on the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
In a Truth Social article published Monday, the president wrote: “Anyone who reports voter fraud in past elections, or in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, will receive $1,000,000 after those who created the fraud are arrested and convicted! Thank you for your attention to this issue.”
Trump then reiterated that offer to reporters before boarding Air Force One for a campaign rally in Mississippi, saying, “I’m also going to offer a million dollar bonus or reward, or whatever you want to call it, to anyone who reports election fraud, leading to the arrest and conviction of someone.” »
Trump has not revealed how he plans to pay the rewards.
The Guardian has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump’s latest comments come on the eve of the November midterm elections and follow his repeated and unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud.
Earlier this month, Democratic state attorneys general stepped up coordination efforts to counter possible federal interference in the upcoming election, amid growing concerns about the administration’s allegations of election fraud.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict presumptive non-citizen voting, accusing it of “politicizing and weaponizing the law.”
In 2020, Republican Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick offered $25,000 for voter fraud counseling, saying at the time: “I support President Trump’s efforts to identify voter fraud in the presidential election and his commitment to ensuring that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is disqualified.” »
Following Patrick’s offer, the first payment went to Eric Frank, a Democratic poll worker in Pennsylvania whose information led to the conviction of a 72-year-old Republican for voting twice – once in his own name and once in that of his son – the Washington Post reported in 2021.
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