President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security has made a guarantee to state elections officials that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will not be stationed at polling places in November — an election intimidation move that was highly sought by the far-right elements of the MAGA camp.
But MS NOW pundit Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee and frequent Trump critic, does not buy this promise whatsoever.
"DHS officials made that pledge on a call with secretaries of state earlier today, multiple sources confirmed to MS NOW," said anchor Alicia Menendez. "If we trust what they say, this is obviously a win for free and fair elections and proof that public outcry does move the needle. But we have learned time and time again that DHS cannot be trusted by words alone. According to Maine's secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, on that same call, federal agencies refused to make public statements reinforcing the constitutional principle that the states, not the federal government, are in charge of elections."
"I know you're shocked, Michael," said Menendez sarcastically, turning to her co-host.
"I don't believe a word of it," said Steele. "I don't believe anything that comes out of DHS. I don't believe anything that comes out of Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, ICE, whoever's running ICE. Don't believe it because it's all a lie. Because this election means more to this president than anything else in front of him. Period. Because it sets in motion what the next two years look like for him. So you can get, you know, drink that Kool-Aid if you want to. But, Symone, I'm not — I'm not buying an inch of it."
The third co-host, Symone Sanders-Townsend, concurred.
"Well, you know who's not buying it? I don't think the secretaries of state are also buying it ... There is still — there's a quote: 'There is still great and well-founded fear of the possibility of direct or indirect interference by the federal government,' said Minnesota's secretary of state, Steve Simon ... So the Democratic, at least, secretaries of state are not looking at this through rose-colored glasses, if you will. They understand the stakes and are paying attention."