Former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson's announcement of a new "election integrity" was met with scorn from fellow conservatives Friday.
Trump and Johnson addressed the nation from Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida social club, to promote their solution to what they described as a looming problem in the 2024 presidential election.
“If an individual only asserts or simply states that they are a citizen, they don’t have to prove it, and they can register that person to vote in a federal election,” Johnson said. “We only want U.S. citizens to vote in U.S. elections.”
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Johnson's claim that non-citizens could take advantage of federal election law was subject to multiple and immediate fact-checks, among them a panelist on Fox News who explained "what the Speaker got wrong."
Richard Fowler, the panelist, noted federal law already prohibits non-citizens from partaking in national elections and that a Heritage Foundation analysis found fewer than 50 cases of noncitizen voting in elections since 2002.
"The idea that illegals are running to the polls and there's mass voter fraud happening?" Fowler said. "There's zero evidence."
This message was reiterated by Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA), a member of the bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity, who issued a public statement condemning Johnson, Trump, and their proposal.
“It is beneath the office of the speaker to cast doubt on our free and fair election system," Boustany said. "The legislation proposed today intends to sow distrust in our democratic processes."
Boustany argued the proposal was disrespectful to poll workers nationwide who dedicate themselves to ensuring a peaceful transition of power.
"[It] diminishes the patriotic work of election officials across the country who have dedicated their careers to administering secure and transparent elections," he said. "American elections remain chronically underfunded, and instead of fueling disinformation, Speaker Johnson and members of Congress should work together to bolster our critical election infrastructure and support the brave individuals who make sure that every eligible vote is counted fairly and accurately.”
Neoconservative writer William Kristol was more blunt when he shared his response on social media: "Is anyone stupid enough to fall for this dime-store, know-nothing demagogy?" he asked.