Steve Bannon, a former White House adviser to President Donald Trump, has said agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be at the polls during November's midterm elections.
"You're damn right we're gonna have ICE surround the polls come November," Bannon said on his War Room podcast on Tuesday.
"We're not gonna sit here and allow you to steal the country again. And you can whine and cry and throw your toys out of the pram all you want, but we will never again allow an election to be stolen."
Federal and state laws prohibit the government from deploying federal agents to any polling place, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Federal law also prohibits any activity that intimidates voters.
Bannon's comments come after Trump said in a podcast interview on Monday that Republicans should "take over" elections in as many 15 states, as he continued to baselessly claim that widespread fraud cost him re-election in 2020. His calls come amid a push among Republicans in Congress to impose stricter voting requirements nationwide.
Newsweek contacted the White House and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment by email outside of regular business hours.
Why It Matters
Trump has recently intensified his efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. He has repeated disproven theories that ballots were altered or stolen and that illegal migrants were allowed to cast votes in some states that he lost. Those efforts come as the Trump administration is turning its attention to electoral issues before the midterm elections in November, when control of Congress will be at stake.
Meanwhile, the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by immigration enforcement agents in separate incidents in Minneapolis last month have amplified scrutiny of ICE. On Tuesday, Trump signed a government funding bill that only funds DHS for two weeks at the behest of Democrats, who are demanding more restrictions on immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings.
What To Know
On the War Room podcast, Bannon said that Democrats rely on voter fraud to win elections, suggesting without evidence that illegal migrants are voting in large numbers in Minnesota and New York City.
Caroline Wren, a GOP fundraiser, agreed with Bannon, saying that Democrats are seeking to "defund ICE" to keep agents away from polling sites.
Wren pointed to comments from Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who recently expressed concerns about the possibility of Trump sending ICE agents to polling places.
"They don't want ICE funded because they don't want ICE at the polling stations to stop illegals from voting," she said.
Bannon said the proposals in two bills to implement stricter voter requirements were "basic."
"The ask here on the SAVE Act and Make Elections Great Again Act are pretty basic. A legitimate ID to show who you are to vote. It is to clean up the voter rolls," he said.
What People Are Saying
Bannon said on the podcast: "Let's put you on notice again. ICE is going to be around the polls in the 2026 midterm elections."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X on Monday: "The SAVE Act is nothing more than Jim Crow 2.0. It would disenfranchise millions of Americans. Every single Senate Democrat will vote against any bill that contains it."
Democratic Senator Mark Warner told reporters on Tuesday: "The idea that the president might send some part of the federal government like ICE into patrol and suddenly people are saying, 'well, we want to make sure that nobody undocumented shows up at any polling station.' Again, pre-Minneapolis occupation, that didn't ring as true as it potentially rings true right now"
What Happens Next
The midterm elections will take place on November 3.
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