Homeland Security Secretary Mullin reiterates Trump threats about elections

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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has doubled down on threats President Donald Trump made against states that defy his demands for election reform, vowing to pursue a campaign of "maximum pressure" to ensure compliance. In a speech on Friday, Mullin reiterated the administration's hardline agenda to reshape US elections, echoing Trump's primetime address the previous night.

Mullin also hinted at repercussions for those Trump accused of misleading the US public during the 2020 election, which Trump falsely claims he won. "This isn't about rehashing the 2020 election. This is just exposing what took place and to make sure it never happens again," Mullin said, according to both Al Jazeera and The Guardian.

Coverage Comparison

Both Al Jazeera and The Guardian reported on Mullin's remarks, emphasizing different aspects of the story. Al Jazeera focused on the administration's hardline agenda and its plan to use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to consolidate voter information. The Guardian highlighted Mullin's repetition of unsubstantiated claims about voting machine security and the lack of transparency regarding the administration's methodology.

Al Jazeera reported that Mullin pledged to pursue a campaign of "maximum pressure" and hinted at repercussions for those Trump accused of misleading the public during the 2020 election. The outlet also noted that critics have accused Trump of seeking to nationalize election administration.

The Guardian reported that Mullin claimed DHS identified 250,000 non-citizens registered to vote in four states, but election experts said the administration has not been transparent about the methodology used to reach that number. The Guardian also noted that Mullin repeated baseless conspiracy theories about voting machines being unsafe and insecure, and that a CIA analysis found the vulnerability involved voting technology used in Venezuela and did not extend to the US.

Key Claims

Mullin claimed that DHS identified 250,000 non-citizens registered to vote in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada. However, election experts, including David Becker, executive director of the non-partisan Center for Election Innovation and Research, said the administration has not been "transparent about the methodology" in reaching that number, as reported by The Guardian.

Mullin also claimed that 28,000 non-citizens have been identified on the voter rolls of 23 states that have "proactively" worked with the administration on the SAVE program. Becker noted that this number sounds plausible but represents only 0.04% of the 68 million eligible voters in those states, according to The Guardian.

The Trump administration plans to use the SAVE database to consolidate voter information, as reported by Al Jazeera. The administration has also sent letters to election officials across the country, threatening prosecution if non-citizen voters are found in their states, according to Al Jazeera.

Trump has long voiced unsubstantiated concerns about the security of electronic voting, pushing instead for a return to paper ballots, as reported by Al Jazeera. Critics have urged networks not to give Trump a platform to make baseless election claims that could undermine confidence in the upcoming 2026 midterm vote, and Trump used his primetime slot to denounce channels that opted out, calling them part of a plot and threatening to revoke their licenses, according to Al Jazeera.

Perspectives

Administration perspective: Mullin and Trump argue that their actions are about exposing past election vulnerabilities and ensuring future election integrity, with Mullin stating it is about "exposing what took place and to make sure it never happens again."

Critics and experts perspective: Election experts and critics question the administration's transparency and the basis for its claims. David Becker noted the lack of transparency about methodology, and state officials like Pennsylvania's Republican Secretary of State Al Schmidt said all evidence shows non-citizen voting is extremely rare.