Trump Administration May Withhold Homeland Security Funds Over Election Changes

With the midterm elections approaching, the Trump administration is signaling it may withhold millions of dollars in homeland security funding from states that don’t make certain election-related changes, according to a new report.

Under revised guidelines for homeland security grants, states would be required to implement a series of measures, including eliminating some electronic voting systems and cross-checking voter rolls against a federal database, CNN reported, citing internal records it obtained.

If the reforms are not implemented, states risk forfeiting 20 percent of certain Department of Homeland Security grants, which are expected to exceed $1 billion this year. The grants are typically used to support counterterrorism efforts and disaster preparedness at the state and local level.

The new rules are part and parcel of President Donald Trump’s long-running crusade against voter fraud. He’s repeatedly accused Democratic-run states of “cheating” at the ballot box and even floated a federal “take over” of elections.

“The Dumocrats are at it again! They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES,” the 80-year-old president wrote on Truth Social earlier this month. “Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS.”

Studies indicate election fraud in the U.S. is extremely rare. For instance, when looking at a 25-year span of elections in Arizona, the Heritage Foundation uncovered just 36 cases of fraud out of 42.6 million votes cast, according to the Brookings Institution.

Democrats have condemned the president’s tactics as fear-mongering designed to benefit the GOP.

Under the new guidelines obtained by CNN, states would need to carry out manual election audits using Trump administration-established methods. Additionally, states would need to file a plan to eliminate voting systems that do not use paper ballots capable of being filled out by hand.

Further, in order to qualify for full grant funding, states would need to cross-check their voter rolls with the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, a DHS tool used to help find potential non-voters.

At least one expert believes these guidelines will fail in the long run.

“I expect (the new requirements) will be blocked in the courts,” David Becker, a former Justice Department attorney, told CNN.

The U.S. Constitution grants states, not the federal government, the authority to administer elections. Since Trump returned to office, courts have struck down some of his attempts to regulate elections through executive orders.

The administration’s push to reshape election administration also echoes his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, when he and his allies advanced unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in multiple battleground states. Those efforts, which failed, included pressuring state officials and promoting alternate slates of electors.

Despite repeated court rulings rejecting those claims, the GOP president has continued to question the legitimacy of U.S. elections, making the issue a central pillar of his political messaging. Critics have argued his recent proposals reflect a continuation of that strategy, while supporters say they’re aimed at restoring confidence in the electoral system.

The Independent has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.