Former President Donald Trump complained Friday a Virginia judge's ruling that Republicans could not yank ballots away from local voters days before the presidential election was a "travesty."
Trump bemoaned on Truth Social the ruling from U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles that Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's executive order violated federal law by purging registered voters too close to the upcoming election.
"Sleepy Joe Biden and Comrade Kamala Harris ridiculously accuse me of wanting to 'weaponize' the Justice Department, when they have done all of the weaponizing," Trump wrote.
"Now, their truly Weaponized Department of 'Injustice,' and a Judge (appointed by Joe), have ORDERED the Great Commonwealth of Virginia to PUT NON-CITIZEN VOTERS BACK ON THE ROLLS."
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This is incorrect.
While Giles is a Biden appointee, her ruling returns 1,600 registered voters on the rolls who were removed based on what experts say was less than reliable Department of Motor Vehicles data.
The purge violated the 1993 National Voter Registration Act that bans states from removing registered voters within 90 days before a federal election, Giles ruled. There is no evidence suggesting they are non-citizens — who cannot legally vote in U.S. elections.
Youngkin's vow to appeal was met with praise from Trump.
"This is a totally unacceptable travesty, and Governor Youngkin is absolutely right to appeal this ILLEGAL ORDER, and the U.S. Supreme Court will hopefully fix it," Trump wrote. "Only U.S. Citizens should be allowed to vote."
Federal law does not permit non-citizens to vote and instances of this rule being violated are rare, elections experts and studies say.