Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin warned on Saturday that President Donald Trump may attempt to “suppress the vote” ahead of the November midterms, even as polling data suggests a Democratic advantage.
In an interview on MS NOW’s “The Weekend,” Martin highlighted the DNC’s extensive contingency planning for potential electoral interference. He urged viewers to disregard favorable polling trends and prepare for what he described as a scenario where “someone trying to hold on to power at all costs” would seek to undermine voter integrity.
Martin cited recent victories in Virginia and California as evidence that Democrats are outmaneuvering Republicans in the ongoing redistricting battle triggered by Trump last year. In Virginia, voters approved 51.5% to 48.6% a constitutional amendment authorizing Democratic-drawn maps projected to flip the state’s congressional delegation from 6-5 Democrat to as many as 10-1. California voters similarly approved Proposition 50 with about 64% support, clearing a path for a Democrat map expected to gain up to five seats.
The remarks follow a March 10 federal lawsuit filed by the DNC against the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, and Defense Department over 11 unanswered Freedom of Information Act requests seeking records on plans to deploy federal agents or troops at polling places. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, seeks court-ordered compliance with FOIA. The Justice Department labeled the suit “frivolous.”
Federal law generally prohibits military personnel and federal officers from being stationed at polling sites. The lawsuit was prompted by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s comment that she could not “guarantee” Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would be near polling locations in November, while noting she had not heard the president discuss any formal plan to station them.
Trump has separately pushed Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would tighten voter ID rules and restrict mail-in voting. His Justice Department has also sought voter rolls from at least 29 states.
The Virginia redistricting effort remains contentious: on April 22, Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley permanently enjoined certification, ruling the amendment process unconstitutional. Democrat Attorney General Jay Jones appealed the decision, and the Virginia Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Monday.
Trump sparked the nationwide redistricting cycle by pressuring Texas Republicans last year to redraw their map to add up to five additional GOP seats. North Carolina, Missouri, and other Republican-led states followed suit. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called a special session to begin Tuesday, April 28, after postponing it from last week, to consider a new GOP map.
The political clash in Florida has become personal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters Wednesday that his “message to Florida Republicans is, ‘F— around and find out,’” arguing the GOP risks a “dummymander” that spreads voters too thin. DeSantis responded by offering to “pay” for Jeffries to campaign in Florida and predicted voters would “not like what they see.”
