WEBVTT - Trump's Aggressive Election Strategy 0:00:02.759 --> 0:00:07.040 This is Bloomberg Law with June Grosso from Bloomberg Radio. 0:00:07.060 --> 0:00:12.010 They say the third time's a charm. Well, maybe this 0:00:12.150 --> 0:00:15.730 latest appeal to the Supreme Court will be the final 0:00:15.830 --> 0:00:19.189 word on the maps Missouri will use in the midterm. 0:00:19.390 --> 0:00:22.530 The dispute over a new map drawn to help Republicans 0:00:22.590 --> 0:00:26.400 gain a seat in the pivotal midterms has triggered confusion 0:00:26.440 --> 0:00:30.160 and uncertainty for more than a million potential voters who 0:00:30.260 --> 0:00:35.280 could be shuffled among districts. It comes amid crucial administrative deadlines. 0:00:35.720 --> 0:00:39.480 Election officials in Missouri have already started mailing ballots to 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:43.769 military personnel and other voters outside the country. In two 0:00:43.850 --> 0:00:47.370 separate rulings this month, the Supreme Court has told Missouri 0:00:47.490 --> 0:00:51.210 it must use its old map, not the new gerrymandered 0:00:51.270 --> 0:00:55.240 map drawn up by Republicans. But on Monday, a three-judge 0:00:55.300 --> 0:00:58.540 panel of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals said the 0:00:58.600 --> 0:01:02.660 Constitution requires that the state use the same voting map 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:07.030 in November that it used during the primary elections. And 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:10.730 now the case is back at the Supreme Court. Joining 0:01:10.750 --> 0:01:14.209 me is Danielle Lang, Vice President for Voting Rights and 0:01:14.230 --> 0:01:18.009 the Rule of Law at the Campaign Legal Center. Danielle, 0:01:18.190 --> 0:01:22.530 Missouri's redistricting battle has been among the longest and most 0:01:22.730 --> 0:01:27.089 complex in the roughly dozen states that have sought to 0:01:27.170 --> 0:01:31.429 change their House districts over the past year. Explain why 0:01:31.470 --> 0:01:33.569 it's back at the Supreme Court once again. 0:01:33.590 --> 0:01:37.090 That's a great question. I think it's because some of 0:01:37.130 --> 0:01:40.259 the plaintiffs in the Missouri case can't quite get the 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:43.080 hint from the Supreme Court. And that seems to be 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:45.929 the case, I think, for the Eighth Circuit as well. 0:01:46.310 --> 0:01:49.070 So twice this has been before the Supreme Court already. 0:01:49.090 --> 0:01:51.830 And the Supreme Court has said, no, we have to 0:01:51.930 --> 0:01:55.870 follow what the Missouri Supreme Court has said about the 0:01:55.910 --> 0:01:59.840 redistricting and what map needs to be used. But notwithstanding 0:02:00.160 --> 0:02:04.160 those two prior orders from the Supreme Court, the Eighth 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:08.340 Circuit nonetheless ruled in favor of plaintiffs that are trying 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:10.500 to seek the use of a map that the Missouri 0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:14.830 Supreme Court has said cannot be used. And under those circumstances, 0:02:14.870 --> 0:02:16.430 we have to go back to the Supreme Court to 0:02:16.470 --> 0:02:17.430 correct that error. 0:02:18.290 --> 0:02:22.269 So the Supreme Court ordered Missouri to use its old 0:02:22.370 --> 0:02:27.510 map in the upcoming midterm elections. However, during the primaries, 0:02:28.010 --> 0:02:31.240 Missouri used the new map, which was drawn up to 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:35.360 give Republicans an advantage. So they're using a map with 0:02:35.900 --> 0:02:40.010 different lines from that used when voters went to the 0:02:40.070 --> 0:02:43.090 polls for the primaries, that does seem like it might 0:02:43.169 --> 0:02:47.510 cause some problems. And the Eighth Circuit said it's unconstitutional. 0:02:48.440 --> 0:02:51.180 Right. But I would just say in this context, I 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:53.720 think the Supreme Court has already been clear. You know, 0:02:53.740 --> 0:02:56.399 these are not new facts. The issue was already brought 0:02:56.440 --> 0:03:00.160 to the Supreme Court of whether or not the Missouri 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:03.340 Supreme Court's order could be evaded. And the answer was no. 0:03:04.010 --> 0:03:06.950 And so under those circumstances, I wouldn't expect there to 0:03:07.010 --> 0:03:09.270 be a change in the Supreme Court's position. 0:03:09.790 --> 0:03:12.470 And also the ballots have been mailed already, right, to 0:03:12.610 --> 0:03:14.410 overseas and military voters? 0:03:15.169 --> 0:03:15.649 Exactly. 0:03:15.669 --> 0:03:18.030 You know, it is far too late to change things. 0:03:18.190 --> 0:03:21.929 The election is underway and the Supreme Court has already 0:03:21.970 --> 0:03:22.630 spoken twice. 0:03:23.750 --> 0:03:26.620 Let's turn now to some of the problems that seem 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:31.950 to be arising ahead of the election. as President Trump 0:03:32.030 --> 0:03:36.410 is trying to assert greater federal control over the elections, 0:03:37.040 --> 0:03:40.680 and the Justice Department is employing an aggressive strategy that 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:46.600 includes suing states for voter records, investigating election officials, and 0:03:46.660 --> 0:03:50.300 even seizing ballots in some states. And this is setting 0:03:50.420 --> 0:03:54.620 off alarm bells as to what might happen on Election Day. 0:03:55.170 --> 0:03:59.510 And the NAACP is suing over what it says is 0:03:59.550 --> 0:04:04.370 a Trump administration plan to station armed federal agents near 0:04:04.410 --> 0:04:08.850 voting locations. The federal government has sent monitors to election 0:04:08.930 --> 0:04:11.250 sites before. Tell us what normally happens. 0:04:12.130 --> 0:04:17.369 Yes, there's been a longstanding federal observer policy and program 0:04:17.470 --> 0:04:20.870 from the Department of Justice as well as congressional observers. 0:04:21.310 --> 0:04:25.650 But that's all they are. They are observers. They cannot interfere. 0:04:25.670 --> 0:04:30.570 They cannot even enter polling places unless they're invited. They 0:04:30.610 --> 0:04:33.900 have to stand outside. And so it is not the 0:04:33.940 --> 0:04:38.520 case that observers can interfere with our elections in any way. 0:04:38.540 --> 0:04:41.960 So that's a longstanding practice. And of course, I would 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:44.839 expect there to be observers at the polls this year, 0:04:45.540 --> 0:04:48.090 the same way that they have always been. Of course, 0:04:48.150 --> 0:04:52.850 there have been concerning and fear-mongering statements from members of 0:04:52.910 --> 0:04:57.529 the administration saying, suggesting perhaps more nefarious motives at the 0:04:57.589 --> 0:05:01.510 polls by federal officials. But their federal law is actually 0:05:01.550 --> 0:05:05.390 very clear. There's a statute that says that you cannot 0:05:05.610 --> 0:05:11.309 send federal armed officials to the polls. Point blank. That 0:05:11.450 --> 0:05:14.030 is the law. There are no ifs, ands, or buts 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:19.220 to that law. And so there is no reason for 0:05:19.260 --> 0:05:22.640 there to be federal armed officials at the polls. 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:26.860 Have the Justice Department or FBI officials hinted that they 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:27.760 might be armed? 0:05:28.339 --> 0:05:30.460 Well, I mean, I think that that is the image 0:05:30.500 --> 0:05:34.390 that is evoked by FBI officers, ICE and the like, 0:05:34.450 --> 0:05:38.110 is that those are typically law enforcement that are armed officials. 0:05:38.510 --> 0:05:40.190 But the point is that there is no kind of 0:05:40.270 --> 0:05:44.430 military or law enforcement, federal law enforcement permitted at the polls. 0:05:44.529 --> 0:05:48.530 In fact, many states don't even allow state law enforcement 0:05:48.690 --> 0:05:52.979 to be at the polls, except for under very limited circumstances. Because, 0:05:53.060 --> 0:05:56.580 of course, voters should feel at ease at the polls. 0:05:56.720 --> 0:05:59.219 And there are some communities that feel very ill at 0:05:59.380 --> 0:06:01.760 ease when law enforcement is present. 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:05.260 So the NAACP is one of the groups that's suing 0:06:05.480 --> 0:06:09.049 over this plan to place armed federal agents at the polls. So, 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:11.850 I mean, what can they hope to get before an 0:06:11.910 --> 0:06:15.229 election that would stop that from happening? 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:18.240 Yeah, I think that groups like the NAACP are putting 0:06:18.260 --> 0:06:21.320 down a marker to make it very clear in the 0:06:21.339 --> 0:06:25.750 litigation that the law stands, that the law is clear, 0:06:26.310 --> 0:06:30.010 and that federal law enforcement will not be tolerated at 0:06:30.029 --> 0:06:34.539 the polls, and that the civic engagement community, the civil 0:06:34.580 --> 0:06:39.130 rights community has voters back. And so... We'll see how 0:06:39.170 --> 0:06:42.090 that litigation plays out and whether or not there will 0:06:42.110 --> 0:06:45.170 be any kind of preliminary relief sought there. But one 0:06:45.210 --> 0:06:47.670 way or another, it lays down a very clear marker. 0:06:47.890 --> 0:06:50.310 This is the law and we will not tolerate it 0:06:50.330 --> 0:06:51.450 to be violated. 0:06:52.339 --> 0:06:56.719 I'm also wondering, so if despite this, armed agents end 0:06:56.760 --> 0:06:59.840 up at the polls, what happens at the polls? Because 0:06:59.900 --> 0:07:02.820 at that point you have disruption. I'm sure you have 0:07:02.880 --> 0:07:06.310 some voters who are intimidated already. What happens if the 0:07:06.470 --> 0:07:09.290 state runs to court or the county runs to court 0:07:09.330 --> 0:07:11.290 and tries to get an order? Yeah. 0:07:11.970 --> 0:07:14.430 First, I just want to assure listeners that we don't 0:07:14.630 --> 0:07:17.030 have any reason to believe that there's going to be 0:07:17.130 --> 0:07:20.630 kind of swarms of law enforcement at the polls. I 0:07:20.810 --> 0:07:25.500 expect 2026 elections to go the way that voters normally 0:07:25.580 --> 0:07:28.880 experience their elections, that they go to the polls, they 0:07:28.940 --> 0:07:32.420 meet their friendly election officials, they get their sticker and 0:07:32.890 --> 0:07:36.880 And they go along their merry way. But, you know, 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:41.880 as this lawsuit kind of demonstrates, civic engagement communities are 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:45.620 prepared for every eventuality and to protect voters. So what 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:49.810 does that look like? Okay, so if law enforcement appears 0:07:50.070 --> 0:07:54.490 improperly at the polls, voters are going to have community 0:07:54.530 --> 0:07:57.980 members there with them. They can just go ahead and vote. right? 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:00.860 They're going to move forward with their day. They're going 0:08:00.980 --> 0:08:04.630 to lawfully cast their ballot and move on. And in 0:08:04.670 --> 0:08:08.110 the meanwhile, there will be very prompt legal action. And 0:08:08.210 --> 0:08:12.380 I would imagine that any such attempts at deployments would 0:08:12.420 --> 0:08:13.800 be very quickly cut off. 0:08:14.780 --> 0:08:18.020 I mentioned the head of the Civil Rights Division before, 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:24.530 Harmeet Dhillon. Historically, the Justice Department has has focused on 0:08:24.690 --> 0:08:30.270 addressing racial discrimination, language and disability access at polls, and 0:08:30.390 --> 0:08:35.500 other barriers to voting. Under President Trump, that's changed. And 0:08:35.540 --> 0:08:38.720 now you have the department suing more than two dozen 0:08:38.880 --> 0:08:44.210 states for their voter rolls. Explain why they want those rolls. 0:08:44.630 --> 0:08:47.730 Yeah, the Department of Justice has been on a mission 0:08:48.070 --> 0:08:52.340 to try to hoover up all of Americans' voter data 0:08:52.460 --> 0:08:57.920 across the entire country, including social security numbers, driver's license numbers, 0:08:58.100 --> 0:09:01.339 voter history. There's just no reason for the Department of 0:09:01.380 --> 0:09:04.360 Justice to do that. There is no lawful basis for 0:09:04.380 --> 0:09:06.520 the Department of Justice to do that. And it raises 0:09:06.700 --> 0:09:09.939 both concerns about their motives as well as the privacy 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:13.100 of that data for American voters. And the good news 0:09:13.260 --> 0:09:16.260 is that they have been unsuccessful. Red and blue states 0:09:16.340 --> 0:09:20.380 alike have pushed back and they have been unanimous in 0:09:20.420 --> 0:09:23.609 their victories thus far in the courts and kind of 0:09:23.650 --> 0:09:26.809 pushing back on those attempts to hoover up American voter data. 0:09:27.510 --> 0:09:31.969 Does this search for state voter rolls have anything to 0:09:32.010 --> 0:09:34.430 do with the case before the Supreme Court where we're 0:09:34.490 --> 0:09:37.650 waiting for the court to make a decision about the 0:09:37.670 --> 0:09:41.150 Trump administration's use of the SAVE database? 0:09:42.230 --> 0:09:45.559 Yes and no, I would say. Technically, no. And the 0:09:45.580 --> 0:09:49.660 Department of Justice has at times suggested that they are unrelated. 0:09:50.420 --> 0:09:53.640 But at the same time, we actually do know from 0:09:54.350 --> 0:09:58.590 reporting that the Department of Justice did appear to be 0:09:58.710 --> 0:10:02.140 sharing that data with... with Department of Homeland Security and 0:10:02.350 --> 0:10:07.290 using this so-called SAVE database to try to match voters 0:10:07.390 --> 0:10:11.960 to other federal data. And what the district court and 0:10:12.100 --> 0:10:15.540 the D.C. Circuit found in that case is that that 0:10:15.620 --> 0:10:20.100 entire process was unlawful. It violated the Privacy Act, and 0:10:20.160 --> 0:10:23.960 it had all sorts of both security and accuracy concerns. 0:10:24.179 --> 0:10:27.020 Coming up next on the Bloomberg Law Show, we'll talk 0:10:27.059 --> 0:10:31.390 about how state election officials and county officials are trying 0:10:31.490 --> 0:10:35.910 to game out what might happen, the worst-case scenarios during 0:10:35.929 --> 0:10:40.030 the midterm elections. I'm June Grosso, and you're listening to Bloomberg. 0:10:42.070 --> 0:10:46.210 While the Constitution largely puts states in charge of elections, 0:10:46.710 --> 0:10:50.740 President Trump has sought to reach into virtually every corner 0:10:50.770 --> 0:10:54.960 of the voting process as he boosts baseless accusations of 0:10:55.100 --> 0:11:00.060 widespread fraud. And he's empowered agencies like the Justice Department 0:11:00.460 --> 0:11:05.079 to pursue extraordinary legal tactics to assert greater federal control 0:11:05.260 --> 0:11:09.230 over U.S. elections. I've been talking to Danielle Lange. Vice 0:11:09.270 --> 0:11:11.890 President for Voting Rights and the Rule of Law at 0:11:11.929 --> 0:11:15.209 the Campaign Legal Center. Harmeet Dhillon, who's the head of 0:11:15.230 --> 0:11:19.360 the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department, warned of 0:11:19.550 --> 0:11:24.559 criminal investigations of state and local election officials for failing 0:11:24.700 --> 0:11:28.680 to clean up voter rolls. Sending letters to top election 0:11:28.740 --> 0:11:32.630 officials nationwide. I mean, is there a reason for her warning? 0:11:33.280 --> 0:11:38.130 This is intimidation and nothing more. If you'll remember back 0:11:38.309 --> 0:11:40.910 at the beginning of the year when there was that 0:11:40.990 --> 0:11:45.670 huge ice surge in Minneapolis, the Department of Justice was 0:11:45.790 --> 0:11:49.390 trying to kind of trade on, oh, perhaps we will 0:11:49.470 --> 0:11:51.750 pull back on our ice surge if you will give 0:11:51.809 --> 0:11:55.190 us this data or information that we want about voters, 0:11:55.350 --> 0:11:58.630 which just shows the kind of length of intimidation that 0:11:59.340 --> 0:12:02.420 and kind of thuggery that the Department of Justice has 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:05.160 been willing to engage in when it comes to their 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:09.210 mission to undermine our elections. So I see those letters 0:12:09.370 --> 0:12:12.890 of kind of trying to threaten election officials into doing 0:12:12.929 --> 0:12:17.040 their bidding as just another element in that scheme. Election 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:21.200 officials have regular list maintenance processes that they go through 0:12:21.220 --> 0:12:26.140 year round. They are constantly cleaning their rolls to make 0:12:26.230 --> 0:12:29.309 sure that people who've passed away or moved are removed 0:12:29.350 --> 0:12:33.030 and that everybody who's newly registered gets registered. That's their 0:12:33.050 --> 0:12:35.810 job and they know how to do it well. I 0:12:35.830 --> 0:12:38.090 will say the one time that they're not doing it, 0:12:38.570 --> 0:12:41.930 they're not doing kind of removal list maintenance is right now. 0:12:42.490 --> 0:12:45.130 In the 90 days before a federal election, it's actually 0:12:45.230 --> 0:12:49.699 illegal to engage in systematic list maintenance. So election officials 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:52.860 have already gone through all those processes in a timely 0:12:52.900 --> 0:12:55.600 manner so that they could pause them in the run-up 0:12:55.620 --> 0:12:59.280 to the election so that nobody gets improperly removed without 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:01.800 the ability to kind of fix it before the election. 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:07.710 Every investigation, et cetera, has shown that the incidence of 0:13:07.730 --> 0:13:12.329 non-citizens voting is very, very low. But we had that 0:13:12.410 --> 0:13:16.390 disclosure in New Jersey of the state software error that 0:13:16.510 --> 0:13:22.830 registered several thousand non-citizens in 2023 and 2024, including several 0:13:23.230 --> 0:13:26.630 hundred who ended up voting. And I wonder how much 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:34.140 that is giving credence to Trump's continuing claims of fraud 0:13:34.220 --> 0:13:35.819 and non-citizens voting. 0:13:36.550 --> 0:13:41.860 Listen, the administration has been on a consistent message, unsupported 0:13:41.890 --> 0:13:44.420 by the facts or the evidence for a long time, 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:49.240 while predating this particular data point about New Jersey, telling 0:13:49.360 --> 0:13:53.920 Americans lies about the integrity of our elections. And so 0:13:54.030 --> 0:13:57.830 I think that you would tell those lies under any circumstances. 0:13:57.950 --> 0:14:02.290 It is a mission of the administration to undermine our elections. 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:06.180 What happened in New Jersey was actually an example of 0:14:06.380 --> 0:14:09.770 where there are errors, how the system should work. They 0:14:09.809 --> 0:14:13.770 found the errors. They fixed them. They resolved it. And 0:14:13.970 --> 0:14:17.090 it's important to note here that that was a data issue. 0:14:17.410 --> 0:14:21.080 It was not a question of voters trying to engage 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:25.340 in subterfuge. These were individuals who had actually disclosed their 0:14:25.380 --> 0:14:29.660 citizenship status when they got their driver's license. And the 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:33.830 agency made an error a data error. So nothing in 0:14:33.850 --> 0:14:37.410 a kind of new restrictions on voting or the like 0:14:37.690 --> 0:14:42.090 would have prevented that. It was a human data error. 0:14:42.650 --> 0:14:45.090 And we caught it and we fixed it. And that's 0:14:45.130 --> 0:14:46.250 exactly what should happen. 0:14:46.970 --> 0:14:52.540 California's AG Rob Bonta told Bloomberg recently that Democratic state 0:14:52.580 --> 0:14:57.940 officials are gaming out worst case scenarios for November, including 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:02.960 if federal agents show up to seize ballots. What happens 0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:06.280 if federal agents come to try to seize ballots? 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:08.280 Here's what I'll say. 0:15:09.020 --> 0:15:10.900 I think our elections are going to run really well 0:15:10.960 --> 0:15:15.040 in 2026. The federal government doesn't have power over running 0:15:15.120 --> 0:15:19.960 our elections. Their elections are run by thousands of individual 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:24.270 jurisdictions with their own power over the elections and election materials. 0:15:25.060 --> 0:15:28.350 I also think it's right for state officials to be 0:15:28.390 --> 0:15:33.090 gaming out worst case scenarios because, of course, this administration 0:15:33.250 --> 0:15:36.530 has engaged in a lot of really dangerous threats. It 0:15:36.570 --> 0:15:40.700 has engaged in unprecedented activities like going to seize the 0:15:40.790 --> 0:15:44.690 ballot materials in Fulton County, Georgia. And what I would 0:15:44.730 --> 0:15:48.530 expect is that state officials will be very well prepared 0:15:48.630 --> 0:15:52.110 to push back on those, to immediately seek return of 0:15:52.190 --> 0:15:55.350 those materials, to make sure that we have backup data 0:15:55.430 --> 0:15:59.960 where possible to verify our election results. And so I 0:16:00.010 --> 0:16:04.980 am gratified, although I very much hope it's unnecessary, that 0:16:05.060 --> 0:16:09.120 state officials will have plans for every scenario. 0:16:10.140 --> 0:16:12.100 And so now as far as there have been all the, 0:16:12.220 --> 0:16:15.640 you know, the legal battles over mail-in ballots and the 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:20.840 post office trying to impose rules on the states submitting ballots, 0:16:21.380 --> 0:16:24.020 has that all been settled? Is that all over? Yes. 0:16:26.050 --> 0:16:31.370 The USPS rule is not going to be in place 0:16:31.470 --> 0:16:35.500 in any way, shape, or form for the 2026 election. 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:40.580 It has been enjoined by Congress. two separate district courts, 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:43.450 the First Circuit and the Supreme Court, has said we 0:16:43.510 --> 0:16:46.130 are not going to disrupt that injunction. 0:16:46.750 --> 0:16:49.010 As far as going back to the Missouri map and 0:16:49.050 --> 0:16:53.890 the congressional map situations, all this confusion over the maps 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:58.640 and this last-minute jockeying is because President Trump made that request, 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:04.160 starting with Texas, to redistrict. Besides Missouri, are there any 0:17:04.260 --> 0:17:07.070 other states' maps that are still in question? 0:17:08.010 --> 0:17:11.180 No, there should not be. Elections are underway. You know, 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:12.960 I mean, for the reasons we talked about at the 0:17:12.980 --> 0:17:16.030 top of our discussion, Missouri also shouldn't be a question 0:17:16.090 --> 0:17:19.250 except for the kind of unreasonable behavior, I think, of 0:17:19.369 --> 0:17:22.950 the plaintiffs in that case. And I very much hope 0:17:22.970 --> 0:17:26.090 that that's going to be put to an end, hopefully today, 0:17:27.490 --> 0:17:31.840 if not later this week by the Supreme Court. And 0:17:31.910 --> 0:17:34.520 so voters have really been put through the ringer this 0:17:34.580 --> 0:17:38.760 year with this redistricting war. It's something that voters should 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:44.050 not have had to face. It is absurd for there 0:17:44.070 --> 0:17:46.090 to be this race to the bottom when it comes 0:17:46.170 --> 0:17:49.770 to redistricting when there doesn't need to be any redistricting 0:17:50.150 --> 0:17:55.109 being done mid-cycle. Normally, we only redistrict every 10 years 0:17:55.170 --> 0:17:59.950 with new census results. This is unprecedented. But I think 0:17:59.990 --> 0:18:02.250 that we are at the end and it's time for 0:18:02.290 --> 0:18:04.290 voters to actually have their voices heard. 0:18:04.880 --> 0:18:07.450 Is the whole point of a lot of this just 0:18:07.710 --> 0:18:11.090 intimidation and to try to stop people from coming to 0:18:11.109 --> 0:18:11.670 the polls? 0:18:12.470 --> 0:18:14.109 I think that is part of the purpose, but I 0:18:14.150 --> 0:18:16.930 don't think it will work. I think there is this 0:18:16.990 --> 0:18:21.210 idea that we can kind of demoralize voters. We can 0:18:21.230 --> 0:18:26.189 scare voters. We can confuse voters. And so that will 0:18:26.290 --> 0:18:29.030 change the outcomes of an election. But I actually think 0:18:29.070 --> 0:18:32.170 American voters are a lot more resilient than that. They 0:18:32.230 --> 0:18:36.020 can kind of see through things. all of this morass 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:38.330 and see that what's really happening is that there's a 0:18:38.369 --> 0:18:40.910 lot of attention being paid to the rules of voting 0:18:41.270 --> 0:18:44.190 trying to undermine their vote because their vote is powerful. 0:18:44.910 --> 0:18:48.830 I am pretty confident that voters are going to be 0:18:48.970 --> 0:18:51.330 steadfast in making sure that their voices are heard. 0:18:51.630 --> 0:18:54.460 There's always, I don't know, is it always or often 0:18:54.700 --> 0:18:58.800 litigation after the elections over results? 0:18:59.320 --> 0:19:01.780 I suppose I would say often, but it's close to 0:19:01.900 --> 0:19:04.300 always if you think about a national election, there's always 0:19:04.320 --> 0:19:06.500 going to be some elections that are very close and 0:19:06.540 --> 0:19:09.320 therefore lead to some post-election litigation. 0:19:09.580 --> 0:19:14.030 Are you guys anticipating that there'll be even more this midterm? 0:19:14.050 --> 0:19:17.570 I think it's really hard to say. You know, a 0:19:17.690 --> 0:19:19.949 lot of this will often depend on how close the 0:19:19.990 --> 0:19:24.010 races are. When elections aren't that close, it doesn't really 0:19:24.090 --> 0:19:27.110 leave a lot of options for candidates to try to 0:19:27.250 --> 0:19:34.030 undermine the results. where they are closer or where candidates 0:19:34.050 --> 0:19:39.640 are unwilling to concede to the voice of the American people. 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:41.899 They will sometimes try to use the courts as a 0:19:41.940 --> 0:19:44.970 way to change the results. But I've been through a 0:19:45.010 --> 0:19:47.870 few cycles of that now, and it doesn't succeed. 0:19:48.450 --> 0:19:54.619 The Justice Department is still re-litigating or investigating the 2020 election. 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:58.180 I mean, they actually seized ballots in Georgia, right? 0:19:58.740 --> 0:20:01.460 They did seize ballot materials in Georgia related to the 0:20:01.460 --> 0:20:02.340 2020 election. That's correct. 0:20:03.930 --> 0:20:06.260 I mean, it's been litigated so many times, I can't imagine. 0:20:06.300 --> 0:20:09.240 So many times over. I can tell you that you 0:20:09.340 --> 0:20:13.300 and most Americans would prefer to not hear anything more 0:20:13.380 --> 0:20:17.280 about another investigation into an election that occurred six years ago. 0:20:17.560 --> 0:20:22.359 Oh, I'm wondering, I've been reading about concerns for the 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:28.260 safety of election officials and election workers because in recent years, 0:20:28.320 --> 0:20:32.850 they've been subjected to more threats of harassment and violence 0:20:32.869 --> 0:20:38.479 than And that some election offices have done security upgrades 0:20:39.020 --> 0:20:40.300 because of these threats. 0:20:41.160 --> 0:20:43.200 I mean, let me start by saying that I think 0:20:43.240 --> 0:20:45.340 that listeners, if there's one thing they can do to 0:20:45.380 --> 0:20:48.880 help support our elections, be kind to your election officials. 0:20:49.050 --> 0:20:52.649 Say thank you. They are doing hard work and it 0:20:52.690 --> 0:20:55.330 is a real civic duty and it's a labor of 0:20:55.390 --> 0:20:59.280 love for election officers. officials. They serve our democracy at 0:20:59.340 --> 0:21:02.800 the front lines. And they have been subject to really 0:21:02.820 --> 0:21:07.760 outrageous harassment and intimidation because of the lies that have 0:21:07.800 --> 0:21:09.639 been told to the American people. 0:21:09.420 --> 0:21:10.300 About our elections. 0:21:10.380 --> 0:21:14.359 And I find that really heartbreaking. That being said, I 0:21:14.460 --> 0:21:18.880 do think that state-level officials have worked hard to make 0:21:18.920 --> 0:21:21.710 sure that election officials have the support that they need. 0:21:21.730 --> 0:21:25.710 And we're continuing to try to provide election officials with 0:21:25.730 --> 0:21:29.510 the support that they need. Some states have specific laws 0:21:29.590 --> 0:21:32.990 protecting against intimidation. And that's a place where we need 0:21:33.020 --> 0:21:36.600 to continue to pump resources. If we care about our democracy, 0:21:36.619 --> 0:21:40.859 we need to continue to pump resources into its clean administration, 0:21:40.940 --> 0:21:43.700 make sure that officials have everything they need to do 0:21:43.740 --> 0:21:44.740 their job safely. 0:21:44.760 --> 0:21:47.740 And do you have any advice for voters in general? 0:21:48.240 --> 0:21:50.119 It's a busy time, and I think it can be 0:21:50.180 --> 0:21:52.550 really dizzying. I think the one thing I would say 0:21:52.609 --> 0:21:55.250 is that listeners are going to see a lot in 0:21:55.270 --> 0:21:59.450 the news about voting rules and challenges in the news, 0:21:59.510 --> 0:22:01.889 and it will be hard to follow it all. But 0:22:01.930 --> 0:22:03.580 I think you can have faith that at the end 0:22:03.640 --> 0:22:06.460 of the day, what's going to happen this November is 0:22:06.480 --> 0:22:08.780 we're going to have an election day. We're going to 0:22:08.800 --> 0:22:11.400 cast our ballot. Those ballots are going to get counted. 0:22:11.760 --> 0:22:13.840 And then we're going to have results. And those results 0:22:13.980 --> 0:22:18.390 are going to lead to new elected officials throughout the country. 0:22:18.950 --> 0:22:21.250 And so there's going to be a lot of dizzying 0:22:21.410 --> 0:22:24.770 fights in the short term. But voters just have to 0:22:24.830 --> 0:22:27.360 have the eye on their prize, which is to just 0:22:27.390 --> 0:22:29.560 make sure that they know what they need to do 0:22:30.060 --> 0:22:31.180 to make a plan to vote. 0:22:31.460 --> 0:22:35.000 Thanks so much for joining me today, Danielle. That's Danielle Lange. 0:22:35.280 --> 0:22:37.780 Vice President for Voting Rights and the Rule of Law 0:22:37.920 --> 0:22:40.859 at the Campaign Legal Center. Coming up next on the 0:22:40.900 --> 0:22:46.540 Bloomberg Law Show. San Francisco is suing Trump's social media platform, 0:22:46.660 --> 0:22:51.790 Truth Social, for offering customers who pay $ 100, 000 a month 0:22:52.230 --> 0:22:57.010 priority access to the president's and other high-level officials' posts 0:22:57.430 --> 0:23:00.889 before they're available to the public. I'm June Grosso, and 0:23:00.930 --> 0:23:08.290 you're listening to Bloomberg. San Francisco's city attorney is urging 0:23:08.330 --> 0:23:13.170 a state court to block Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, 0:23:13.619 --> 0:23:19.360 from offering customers who pay $ 100, 000 a month priority access 0:23:19.400 --> 0:23:23.560 to the president's and other high-level officials' posts before they're 0:23:23.580 --> 0:23:27.330 available to other users. In the lawsuit filed in San 0:23:27.369 --> 0:23:31.800 Francisco's Superior Court, The city attorney says that Trump Media 0:23:31.880 --> 0:23:36.159 and Technology Group is aiding and abetting Trump's violations of 0:23:36.260 --> 0:23:41.199 federal ethics and anti-corruption law and violating other federal laws 0:23:41.260 --> 0:23:45.090 that protect against insider trading. Quote, it's a pay to 0:23:45.150 --> 0:23:49.189 play scheme for early access to the president's market moving 0:23:49.290 --> 0:23:53.670 government decisions. This public scheme has turned public trust into 0:23:53.750 --> 0:23:59.020 private profit. This is corruption, plain and simple. Trump media 0:23:59.100 --> 0:24:03.439 said the lawsuit fails to grasp the basic distinction between 0:24:03.540 --> 0:24:08.580 public and non-public information. Joining me is Bloomberg Law's senior correspondent, 0:24:08.800 --> 0:24:11.980 Alex Ebert. Alex, tell us more about this, shall we 0:24:12.000 --> 0:24:12.780 call it a service? 0:24:12.800 --> 0:24:17.680 So Trump media and through their company, Truth Social, they've 0:24:17.720 --> 0:24:23.300 created a paid subscription program that allows early access to 0:24:23.440 --> 0:24:27.600 Trump and other senior officials' posts on Truth Social. It's 0:24:27.640 --> 0:24:31.820 called Truth API. And for $ 100, 000 a month, you get 0:24:31.859 --> 0:24:35.379 some early access to some pretty critical information if you 0:24:35.420 --> 0:24:39.940 were a trader. Think about announcements about tariffs, or maybe 0:24:40.330 --> 0:24:43.090 if there's a merger happening that the government is allowing, 0:24:43.290 --> 0:24:46.470 or perhaps if the government leaked the Bureau of Labor 0:24:46.510 --> 0:24:49.510 Statistics a little bit early. These kind of things might 0:24:49.590 --> 0:24:52.369 pop up on Truth Social, and these people would have 0:24:52.570 --> 0:24:53.909 first dibs at getting to see them. 0:24:54.440 --> 0:24:57.350 Is this already ongoing? Have people subscribed? 0:24:57.619 --> 0:25:01.110 This is ongoing. People have subscribed. There's been an investor 0:25:01.130 --> 0:25:05.189