A bipartisan cadre of state election officials called out the latest threat against America's elections levied by President Donald Trump's administration.
Last week, Trump's FBI sent an email to state election officials in every state, saying they are expected to attend an upcoming meeting with their federal partners about the 2026 midterms. Under more normal circumstances, the meeting would be seen as routine, officials told The Atlantic on Sunday. But given the president's repeated threats against elections, state officials view the administration with "deep skepticism," according to the report.
“The trust has been absolutely destroyed,” Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows told The Atlantic.
A few of the Trump administration's recent actions appear to be animating the skepticism shared by state officials, according to the report. For instance, it points to the presence of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard at a recent FBI raid of an election office in Fulton County, Georgia.
Trump officials confiscated around 700 boxes of material related to the 2020 general election during the raid, which amplified concerns that Trump is looking for a way to thwart the outcome of the upcoming elections.
The president has also said he will only accept the results "if the elections are fair," the report noted.