While the Trump administration is gearing up to interfere in November’s midterm elections, federal officials are secretly speaking with state governments and members of Congress on what to do.
The Washington Post reports that about 10 former and current employees with experience in the Department of Defense have been advising states on how to counter President Trump’s efforts under the radar. Some of the people have experience with opposing authoritarian governments overseas.
Two members of the group anonymously spoke with the Post, telling the newspaper that they were not motivated by political affiliation or bias but rather the fear that Trump is trying to damage democracy in the U.S. by undermining election integrity to protect himself and his Republican allies. The group, which also shared documents with the publication, has reportedly consulted with election officials, governors, and members of Congress comprising both Democrats and Republicans across 10 states.
The group is focusing on states and localities where races are expected to be close and could determine which party controls Congress after the midterms. The group is in constant contact with congressional staffers, and at least one state is holding ongoing meetings, according to the Post. In addition to raising awareness, the group is also trying to help states make their election protocols harder to for the federal government to exploit.
“All of them have said ‘We’re concerned but we don’t know what to do,’” one member of the group told the Post. “The outcome that we hope for is that states would be prepared for any contingencies should they arise.”
In a statement, the White House attacked the group and claimed Trump is only pushing for stricter election laws.
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,” said White House spokesperson Lauren Bis.
Trump has continued to fuel election conspiracies and insist that the 2020 election was rigged against him. Administration officials have seized voting machines and ballots, demanded voter rolls from state governments, and taken legal action against Democratic states based on faulty or even fabricated evidence.
The White House has also sought to purge the federal bureaucracy of civil servants it deems disloyal to Trump, especially in federal law enforcement agencies like the FBI. Congress and state officials are right to be concerned about the election: Trump could interfere with the results, skirt or break laws, or outright disavow any losses without fear of legal action.