Homeland Security Secretary Mullin reiterates Trump threats about elections

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin used a Friday speech to reinforce President Donald Trump’s demands for changes to state election procedures, following Trump’s primetime address the previous night. Mullin said the administration would apply a “maximum pressure” approach and make election security requirements compulsory for states seeking certain federal grants or reimbursements connected to federal elections.

According to the report, Mullin focused on California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada, saying they would be early targets of the administration’s push. He repeated Trump administration claims that large numbers of foreign nationals were on voter rolls, but Al Jazeera noted that Mullin did not provide a basis for the figures and that election specialists say registration records do not prove illegal ballots were cast. The article also cited broader evidence that non-citizen voting is extremely rare and said states already screen voters for eligibility.

The proposed measures include pressure to secure voting machines and purge voter registration lists. Al Jazeera placed the remarks in the context of Trump’s long-running, unsupported claims about election fraud and his criticism of electronic voting and mail-in ballots. The report also noted that federal courts have blocked past efforts to create a national voter database, while critics argue the administration is trying to expand federal control over elections that are largely administered by states.

Mullin also criticized major TV networks that declined to air Trump’s speech in full, echoing Trump’s suggestion that broadcasters could face licence consequences. FCC Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez rejected that threat, saying the agency cannot punish stations for editorial decisions about a political speech.