Through rampant redistricting efforts and legislation that would disenfranchise millions, President Donald Trump has been fairly obvious about his intent to interfere with the midterms. Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of federalizing elections, and many of his allies have called for deploying the National Guard to polling stations. So it comes as no surprise that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has sued the Trump administration to get a straight answer as to whether or not it plans to deploy armed federal agents or the National Guard to polling locations.
According to the New York Times, the lawsuit filed by the DNC in a Washington, D.C., federal court says that the DNC has filed 11 different Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense. The lawsuit says that not a single request has received a meaningful response, which violates the law. The FOIA requires federal agencies to acknowledge public records requests and provide the public with information to maintain transparency and accountability.
“FOIA requires agencies to provide a substantive response to FOIA requests ‘within 20 days’ — excluding weekends and holidays — which may be extended for no more than ‘ten working days,’” the lawsuit said. According to MS Now, it has been more than four months since the DNC filed its requests.
It’s entirely possible that the Trump administration simply doesn’t have documents outlining plans to deploy federal agents to polling locations. The lawsuit’s focus is that none of the departments has even responded to the FOIA requests.
“To ensure that the American people obtain timely knowledge of potential threats to free and fair elections and to enable the D.N.C. to take appropriate action to ensure voting rights are protected, the D.N.C. now seeks this Court’s aid to enforce,” the FOIA requirements, the lawsuit states.
Trump’s popularity has been steadily declining throughout the first year and change of his second term. Immigration was a strong point for Trump upon taking office, but the reckless conduct of ICE agents during the administration’s mass deportation push has led to “abolish ICE” becoming an increasingly moderate position. Trump was elected to fix the economy, but a wide swath of voters increasingly disapprove of how he’s handled it so far. The job market has only worsened, and the war in Iran has only added to the United States’ economic woes.
While Trump will lie and tell reporters that he believes his polling is fine, the moves he’s made and is currently contemplating make it clear he’s aware of how unpopular he is. Instead of introducing legislation to address those issues, Trump is refusing to sign any legislation until the SAVE America Act passes, which could make it significantly harder for 21 million citizens to vote.
Trump is also reportedly drafting an executive order that would declare a federal emergency, alleging China interfered in the 2020 election. This would allow Trump to exert unprecedented control over the midterms, including banning mail-in ballots.
Officials within the administration have simultaneously denied that there are plans to deploy armed federal agents to polling stations, while keeping the possibility open.
“I can’t guarantee that an ICE agent won’t be around a polling location in November — that’s frankly a very silly hypothetical question,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said while briefing reporters last month. “But what I can tell you is I haven’t heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations.”
During a hearing with senators last week, Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said “there are no plans to have ICE officers at our polling locations,” but refused to rule out the possibility. At this point, we know there is no line Trump won’t cross to consolidate power. If there are actually plans to deploy the National Guard or ICE agents to polling sites, here’s hoping this lawsuit puts them out in the open.
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