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The Guardian
a minute ago
- The Guardian
Trump doubles down on baseless claims that mail-in voting is ‘corrupt', undermines voting machines
Update: Date: 2025-08-18T18:52:53.000Z Title: an executive order that's being written right now Content: The president tells reporters that executive order scrapping mail ballots is 'being written' — citing debunked theories about fraud, cost and inaccuracy Trump pledges to scrap mail ballots before 2026 midterms Shrai Popat (now); Marina Dunbar and Tom Ambrose (earlier) Mon 18 Aug 2025 19.52 BST First published on Mon 18 Aug 2025 10.29 BST From 7.12pm BST 19:12 In his press conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump has spent a chunk of time answering a question about his earlier threats to end mail-in voting and the use of voting machines. He said today that 'we're going to start with by the best lawyers in the country to end mail in ballots because they're corrupt.' It was a winding detour where he repeated a conspiracy that Democrats prefer mail-in voting because it's 'the only way they can get elected', and to promote what he described as 'transgender for everybody', 'open borders' and crime – which he says is a 'new thing they [Democrats] love'. The president's remarks included a number of false claims. Namely that the US is 'just about the only country in the world' that uses mail-in ballots. Dozens of western democracies use mail-in voting, including Canada, the UK, and Germany. Most European countries offer some form of mail voting, and over 100 countries let their citizens vote by mail when living abroad, according to data from International IDEA. The president has, in the past, voted by mail. Trump also said that voting machines are inefficient and costly, adding that paper ballots allow for results to be released 'the same night'. Election officials and experts routinely say this is inaccurate. Stephen Richer, the former recorder of Maricopa County in Arizona, debunked a number of the president's falsehoods about voting machines. Richer characterised machines as 'highly accurate. And fast. And cheap,' in a post on X today responding to the president's earlier comments. Similarly, a recent report from the Brennan Center for Justice found that 'hand counts are not only less accurate, they take more time than machines, which delays election results.' The report adds that voting machines also save tax payers money. Updated at 7.50pm BST 7.49pm BST 19:49 Anna Betts Oklahoma's top education official is reportedly introducing a new assessment for teachers coming from California and New York that will gauge their alignment with the so-called Sooner state's conservative values. Oklahoma's public education superintendent, Ryan Walters, told USA Today and CNN that the 50-question certification exam – which is reportedly set to roll out in the coming days – will ask about topics such as the 'biological differences between males and females', freedom of religion and US history. According to USA Today, the test also includes questions related to false claims that electoral fraudsters handed the 2020 presidential race to Joe Biden at the expense of Donald Trump, who returned to the White House in January. Walters said that the test – which he has dubbed the 'America First' certification, invoking a favored slogan of the Republican president – is intended to ensure that teachers from the two largest Democrat-led states 'are not coming into our classrooms and indoctrinating kids'. He told CNN that while the test will apply to teachers coming from California and New York, it could expand in the future to applicants from up to eight states who want to work in public education in Republican-led Oklahoma. Walters believes that California and New York have required teachers to 'do things that are antithetical to our standards and values as a state' and that the assessment will help ensure 'that these teachers agree to teach what is required in the state of Oklahoma'. Updated at 7.52pm BST 7.25pm BST 19:25 Also in my last post, I cited the former Maricopa County recorder – Stephen Richer. A little reminder Richer is a Republican whose refused to agree with the president's claims that the 2020 election was stolen. He was in charge of election operations in Arizona's largest county until 205. In his post on X, takes a number of the president's other claims about mail-in voting and machines and debunks them one by one. From watermark paper: This is a way of authenticating that the ballot is legitimate. It is NOT a way of counting the ballot. The watermark ballot would still have to be counted either by tabulators or by hand. Watermark has no impact on speed. This makes no sense. To how voting machines actually work: Most 'voting machines' are simply scanners that read the ovals that you hand marked on your ballot. These work the same way that scanners work when you took standardized tests in high school and college. Richer also reiterated how, legally, the decision to end mail-in voting, and overhaul the way states conduct their elections is not up to the federal government: Article 1 Section 4 Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution gives states authority over the 'Times, Places, and Manner' of election administration. 7.12pm BST 19:12 In his press conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump has spent a chunk of time answering a question about his earlier threats to end mail-in voting and the use of voting machines. He said today that 'we're going to start with by the best lawyers in the country to end mail in ballots because they're corrupt.' It was a winding detour where he repeated a conspiracy that Democrats prefer mail-in voting because it's 'the only way they can get elected', and to promote what he described as 'transgender for everybody', 'open borders' and crime – which he says is a 'new thing they [Democrats] love'. The president's remarks included a number of false claims. Namely that the US is 'just about the only country in the world' that uses mail-in ballots. Dozens of western democracies use mail-in voting, including Canada, the UK, and Germany. Most European countries offer some form of mail voting, and over 100 countries let their citizens vote by mail when living abroad, according to data from International IDEA. The president has, in the past, voted by mail. Trump also said that voting machines are inefficient and costly, adding that paper ballots allow for results to be released 'the same night'. Election officials and experts routinely say this is inaccurate. Stephen Richer, the former recorder of Maricopa County in Arizona, debunked a number of the president's falsehoods about voting machines. Richer characterised machines as 'highly accurate. And fast. And cheap,' in a post on X today responding to the president's earlier comments. Similarly, a recent report from the Brennan Center for Justice found that 'hand counts are not only less accurate, they take more time than machines, which delays election results.' The report adds that voting machines also save tax payers money. Updated at 7.50pm BST 6.52pm BST 18:52 Per my last post, my colleague Lucy Campbell is covering the president's meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in detail. She reports that Trump doesn't rule out future security guarantees in the form of US troops. He added earlier that 'it's never the end of the road. People are being killed and we want to stop that.' For Zelenskyy's part, Lucy reports that when Ukraine's leader is asked if he's prepared to agree to 'redraw the maps' (i.e. cede territory to Russia), Zelenskyy highlights Russia's continued attacks ahead of today's talks and emphasises the need to stop the war, stop Russia, by way of diplomacy. 6.20pm BST 18:20 Lucy Campbell Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived at the White House for high-stakes talks with Donald Trump and European allies. He was greeted by the US president, both men stopped for pictures by the press before moving swiftly inside. Zelesnkyy notably appeared to be wearing a suit, thus removing at least one previous point of contention from his last visit in February. 6.02pm BST 18:02 Tate Reeves, Mississippi's Republican governor, announced that he approved the deployment of about 200 Mississippi National Guard troops to Washington, DC. 'I've approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, DC, to support President Trump's effort to return law and order to our nation's capital,' he said in a statement today. 'Crime is out of control there, and it's clear something must be done to combat it. Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of. I know the brave men and women of our National Guard will do an excellent job enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement.' The deployment is part of the Trump administration's effort to overhaul policing in DC through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness. The move comes as protesters pushed back as federal law enforcement and National Guard troops flooded the city following Trump's executive order federalizing local police forces and activating about 800 District of Columbia National Guard members. 6.02pm BST 18:02 The Texas House achieved quorum today for the first time in two weeks since state Democrats staged a walkout in protest of a gerrymandered congressional map drawn by Republicans. 'Let me also be clear about where we go from here. We are done waiting. We have a quorum. Now is the time for action. We will move quickly, and the schedule will be demanding until our work is complete,' said House speaker Dustin Burrows, a Republican. Burrows added that members who left the state, and for whom civil arrest warrants were issued, will only be given permission to leave the legislature if they agree to have a state trooper assigned to them to make sure they return. The House began a second special session, after ending the first early, on Friday. Today's quorum now paves the way for the new map to pass the Texas legislature – and for the redistricting battle across the country to continue. State lawmakers in California are set to return from recess today to get to work in considering a special election in November, and approving a new congressional map. This is part of the overall redistricting race that California governor Gavin Newsom pushed for in order to offset Texas's map, which could see the GOP pick up five US House seats. Updated at 6.17pm BST 5.51pm BST 17:51 Richard Luscombe A federal judge in Miami heard arguments on Monday that detainees at the remote immigration jail in the Florida Everglades known as 'Alligator Alcatraz' are routinely subjected to human rights abuses and denied due process before being deported. The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is one of two separate actions before the courts that could lead to the closure of the controversial facility celebrated by Trump for its harsh conditions. District court judge Kathleen Williams is expected to rule this week in the other case, brought by an alliance of environmental groups and a Native American tribe, claiming that the immigration jail has inflicted irreversible damage to the fragile wetlands. Earlier this month, Williams issued a temporary restraining order against the state of Florida halting new construction and expansion of the tented camp, although its operations for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (Ice) were allowed to continue. The jail currently holds an estimated 700 detainees. 5.36pm BST 17:36 European leaders have begun arriving at White House. Mark Rutte, NATO's secretary general, was the first to arrive, followed by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be last to arrive. 5.20pm BST 17:20 Democratic lawmakers in Texas have returned to the state, ending a walkout that broke quorum and blocked Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps at the behest of Trump. Texas House of Representatives minority leader Gene Wu, chairperson of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement that Democrats had returned and had 'rallied Democrats nationwide to join this existential fight for fair representation.' But Texas governor Greg Abbott on Friday already called a second special legislation session in another attempt to rework the state's congressional maps in an effort to give Republicans another five seats in Congress. Texas House Democrats left the state earlier this month to deny Republicans the quorum needed to vote on redistricting legislation, a tactic taken several times but is usually unsuccessful. Gavin Newsom, California's Democratic governor, unveiled his own redistricting plan on Thursday that he said would give Democrats there five more congressional seats. 5.05pm BST 17:05 Sam Levine The conservative outlet Newsmax has agreed to pay $67m to Dominion voting systems to settle a defamation suit over lies about voting in the 2020 election. The settlement came as the case was headed to trial. Earlier this year, Delaware superior court judge Eric Davis ruled that Newsmax had defamed the voting technology by broadcasting false claims about its equipment after the 2020 election. A jury would have considered whether Newsmax was liable for damages. Dominion had sued the outlet for $1.6bn. 'We are pleased to have settled this matter,' Dominion said in a statement to CNN. In a lengthy statement of its own, Newsmax was defiant, saying it chose to settle not because it was admitting wrongdoing, but because it believed Davis wouldn't give the company a fair trial. 'Newsmax believed it was critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020,' the company said in a statement. 'We stand by our coverage as fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism.' Dominion obtained a $787.5m defamation settlement from Fox in 2023 on the eve of a defamation trial in Delaware. Newsmax agreed to pay $40m to settle a defamation case against Smartmatic, another voting equipment company, last year. One America News, another far right outlet, also settled a defamation case with Smartmatic last year. Fox is currently defending itself in a pending defamation suit against Smartmatic. 4.44pm BST 16:44 The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – one of the country's largest civil rights organisations – has issued a statement criticising the the president's posts to social media that threaten to end mail-in voting and end the use of voting machines. They deem his attacks as 'part of his strategy to sow distrust in our elections and prevent voters from holding him accountable'. Here's the full statement from Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project: 'Mail-in voting remains a vital safeguard of our democracy. It ensures that voters with disabilities, those without transportation access, and others who rely on its flexibility and access can exercise their right to vote. President Trump's attempts to undermine a safe, proven, and reliable method of voting — that he himself uses — along with his attacks on voting technology, are just another part of his strategy to sow distrust in our elections and prevent voters from holding him accountable. We are prepared to protect mail-in voting in court against unfounded and unconstitutional attacks, as we have in Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and other states. Access to mail-in voting is necessary to a fair and inclusive electoral process.' 4.34pm BST 16:34 Ahead of a busy afternoon at the White House, here's a list of the European leaders arriving shortly. They'll also take part in a larger meeting with Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni French president Emmanuel Macron UK prime minister Keir Starmer German chancellor Friedrich Merz Finnish president Alexander Stubb NATO secretary general NATO Mark Rutte Updated at 4.48pm BST 4.11pm BST 16:11 In recent days, DC mayor Muriel Bowser has shown small but concerted signs of pushback against the Trump administration following last week's federal takeover of the Metropolitan police department (MPD), and deployment of national guard Troops. Over the weekend, Bowser posted on X: 'American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican'. This came just a day after the DC attorney general Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit against the Trump White House, alleging a 'hostile takeover' of the city's police when drug enforcement administrator Terry Cole was named 'emergency police commissioner'. The justice department ultimately agreed to keep DC police chief Pamela Smith in charge, after a federal judge threatened to block the order. At a press conference on Friday, Bowser said she was 'encouraged' by the administration's decision to renege on the management of the MPD. She also described last week's federal takeover as 'unsettling and unprecedented' in a letter to residents published on social media. Bowser also characterised the administration's actions as an 'authoritarian push', having taken a measured approach to the president's invocation of Section 740 of the Home Rule Act. Updated at 5.04pm BST
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Democrats are getting crushed in fundraising, with only $15M in the chest compared to Republicans' $80M
Nearly a year out from the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats are facing a money problem, having only $15 million on hand compared to Republicans, who have $80 million. After facing a crushing defeat in the 2024 presidential election, in which Democrats lost the presidency, the House, and the Senate to Republicans, the party appears to be struggling to find its footing and connecting with potential voters. While some polling suggests Democrats have a small lead, thanks to some of President Donald Trump's unpopular policies, such as tariffs and his harsh mass deportation plan, the Democratic National Committee does not appear to be enticing donors. Federal Election Commission filings, submitted by the DNC and Republican National Committee at the end of June, show that the two parties have a $65 million gap. It's a significantly larger gap than the one the two parties had going into the 2022 midterms, when Democrats had $30 million on hand while Republicans had $14 million, or the 2024 presidential election, when Democrats had $22 million and Republicans had $38 million. Major Democratic donors have reportedly withheld donations this past year as they have witnessed the party struggle to maintain cohesive messaging and fight against Trump's extensive use of the executive branch, according to the Washington Post. 'I don't think that the DNC has given Democrats good reasons to donate,' Julie Roginsky, a Democratic strategist, told the Post in July. Only 47 donors gave the maximum contribution possible to the DNC in the first half of 2025, according to FEC filings. Over the same time period in 2021, more than 130 people gave the same amount. Former DNC Executive Director Sam Cornale told Politico that the committee has raised twice the amount it raised at this point in 2017. Since losing the election to Trump and Republicans, Democratic voters have expressed frustration with their party for failing to reach potential voters and not doing enough to combat Trump's agenda. In recent polling, one in three Democratic voters said they view the party as 'weak' and 'ineffective.' Florida-based Democratic strategist Steve Schale told Politico that, 'donors want some kind of reckoning.' 'But I also think that the kind of state party building that I think [DNC Chair Ken Martin] wants to do at the DNC is really vital to our success. And so I hope people kind of get over themselves pretty quick,' Schale added. However, the significant gap in cash between the DNC and RNC could make it difficult for the DNC to rebrand. Democrats are already facing an uphill battle, having to fight Trump's aggressive agenda and slow down his agenda with fewer seats in Congress. It's difficult to rely on judges to push back on rulings because the administration has targeted Democratic-appointed judges as 'rogue' and partisan. Ultimately, the Supreme Court has final say in many cases, and with a predominantly Republican court, there's no telling what polices the president will be able to implement. Recently, Democratic-led states have been trying to come up with plans to counteract Trump's desire to pick up more Republican seats by redrawing Texas's congressional map. California Governor Gavin Newsom has pushed forward an effort to do the same in his state. But while Republicans have Trump and members of his current administration to appeal to voters and request donations, Democrats have yet to find a leader to do the same. However, not all hope is lost for the DNC. The committee similarly struggled to out raise or even catch up with the RNC leading up to the 2020 presidential election, which former president Joe Biden ultimately won.
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
White House mulls shock 10% stake in tech giant... sending shares tumbling
The Trump administration is said to be weighing an unprecedented move: taking a 10 percent stake in American chip giant Intel. The roughly $10.5 billion investment would mean the US becoming the troubled chipmaker's biggest shareholder. Intel shares fell 3.8 percent on the news, first reported by Bloomberg News. The move, part of Trump's unusual approach to national security, comes two weeks after the President demanded the resignation of CEO Lip-Bu Tan in a fiery post on Truth Social. 'The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately,' Trump posted on Truth Social. The former president has championed multibillion-dollar government tie-ups in semiconductors and rare earths, including a proposed pay-for-play deal with Nvidia that would see the US take a cut in sales to China. Tan, who took the helm just over six months ago, has been tasked with reviving the struggling company. While the government has sometimes taken temporary stakes during crises — such as the 2008 financial bailout — a similar move in peacetime for a tech giant would be virtually unprecedented. Intel employs thousands at its HQ in Oregon Analysts say federal backing could give Intel more room to revitalize its loss-making foundry business. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Intel and the White House did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. Meanwhile, Intel is slashing 25,000 jobs this year as it battles to turn around its flagging fortunes. The chip making giant — which makes processors that power millions of Dell, HP, and Lenovo computers — will shrink its workforce from about 99,500 to 75,000 by the end of 2025. The confirmation in July of the the scale of the layoffs, first announced in April, came as Intel updated Wall Street on its earnings over the past three months. It posted a loss of $2.9 billion. Bosses said Intel has slashed 15,000 jobs so far this year — suggesting another 10,000 are set to go. These are the second major round of job cuts at Intel in the past two years. In December, the company ousted its CEO while cutting 15 percent of its workforce in 2024. Intel, once one of Silicon Valley's most profitable companies, rose to prominence in the 1990s on the strength of its microprocessor chips — the 'brains' of personal computers. But it missed the smartphone boom and has struggled to cash in on the surging demand for AI chips.
