Homeland Security Secretary Mullin reiterates Trump threats about elections

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin doubled down on threats made by President Donald Trump against states that resist his election reform demands. In a speech on Friday, largely reiterating Trump's Thursday address, Mullin pledged a 'maximum pressure' campaign to ensure compliance.

He hinted at repercussions for those Trump accused of misleading the public in the 2020 election, which Trump falsely claims he won. Mullin said his department is targeting individuals in the intelligence community and the Biden administration.

Trump's Thursday speech alleged a 'deep state' cover-up, but declassified documents failed to support his claims. Mullin focused on four states—California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada—claiming without evidence that they have 250,000 non-citizens on voter rolls. He also repeated Trump's claim of nearly 278,000 registered foreign nationals. Experts note that registration does not mean actual voting occurs.

Mullin threatened to withhold federal funds from non-compliant states, demanding secure machines and cleaned voter lists.

Trump has long raised unsubstantiated concerns about electronic voting, pushing for paper ballots. His administration has pressured states to hand over voter rolls, but courts blocked a federal database. Critics accuse Trump of seeking to nationalize election administration, which the Constitution leaves to states.

Mullin also attacked TV networks that did not air Trump's speech live, calling them 'shameful.' The sole Democratic FCC commissioner, Anna Gomez, rejected Trump's threat to revoke licenses as unconstitutional on social media.