Democratic senators are meeting to plan their response to any potential election interference in the upcoming midterm elections. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine other Democratic senators held a war-gaming session with top election officials last week, according to Politico. The scenarios discussed included federal agents at polling locations, ballot seizures in key battleground states, and foreign interference operations.
Schumer Warns of Trump's Threats
Schumer emphasized the seriousness of the threat, stating: "Trump has talked about stealing the election, violating the election, perverting the election, over and over again. And woe be us, and woe be anyone who believes in free elections, who doesn't take that seriously. We are going to be prepared for anything that he throws at us." The midterms will serve as a test of how the president might wield federal power to ensure his party maintains control.
Experts Warn of 'Inventing Fraud'
Experts have warned that Trump is "inventing fraud" in California's primary elections, a narrative likely to escalate unfounded allegations. Omar Noureldin, senior vice-president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, said: "California's election is not the problem here. The problem is that we have a president in the Oval Office who continues to lie and sow doubt over elections instead of facing accountability from voters."
Other Developments
- Trump demanded that Republicans in Congress provide an additional $350 billion for the Pentagon by passing a third reconciliation bill.
- Trump brushed off concerns about inflation jumping to 4.2% in May, saying "I love the inflation", but House Speaker Mike Johnson accused a CNN journalist of taking the comment "totally out of context."
- Senate Democrats said they would not vote to reauthorize a warrantless surveillance law expiring on Friday, as Trump appeared unwilling to back off his plan to install Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.
- Trump told Fox News the US had fired 49 Tomahawk missiles at Iran and would "bomb the shit out of them again on Thursday" if Iran's leaders do not sign a peace agreement.
