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A group of U.S. officials is warning states about how they can prepare in case the Trump administration tries to interfere in the outcome of the midterm elections, according to a report.
The efforts of the group, which is reportedly made up of 10 current and former officials with experience in the Defense Department, are not motivated by political bias but by “a growing sense of concern” that President Donald Trump will try to undermine the election result, according to The Washington Post.
Their concerns follow Trump’s long-standing, baseless claims of a “deep state” conspiracy and election fraud. With his approval rating at a record low, there is an “extraordinary level of concern” that Trump will attempt to challenge the outcome of the midterm elections as he did in the 2020 presidential election, according to the newspaper.
At his midterm rallies, where he asked his supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot, Trump repeated false claims about the outcome of the 2020 election and accused Democrats of attempting to defraud voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Officials in 10 states, including governors, election officials and Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate, fear federal intervention to keep the Republican Party in power, according to the Job.
“Everyone said we are worried but we don’t know what to do,” one member of the group told the outlet. “The outcome we hope for is that states will be prepared to deal with any contingencies that may arise. »
The White House dismissed the group’s concerns in a statement to Job but warned “that anyone who votes illegally in our elections will be held accountable.”
National security officials reportedly warned the group about how the Trump administration could use its federal powers to influence the vote.
One concern was the possible deployment of immigration agents or troops to polling stations based on allegations of voter fraud, according to the Job.
Their warnings would not be based on government intelligence or sensitive information they have access to within their respective federal agencies, but on analysis of Trump’s public statements and administration activities.
The Trump administration is “taking decisive action to protect our elections, including prosecuting election crimes, strengthening election infrastructure security, and protecting vulnerable voters from fraud and coercion,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told the outlet.
The Independent has contacted the White House for further comment.
The administration is already tightening the screws as the midterm elections approach. The Justice Department last week gave California authorities 48 hours to review a list of suspected non-citizen voters or face legal action. Reuters reported.
The directive required the state to withhold ballots from those named on the list until it could verify their citizenship status, signaling that the Justice Department might be prepared to challenge the ballots.
On Monday, the department filed charges against 28 green card holders in California, accusing them of fraudulently registering to vote.
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