All posts tagged "elections"

'Absurd': MAGA rep mocked for claiming people 'dumpster diving for ballots' in California

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) claimed on Monday that people in California were dumpster diving for ballots after Republicans saw a serious setback in the Los Angeles mayor race and votes continued six days after the primary.

The MAGA lawmaker made the unfounded fraud remarks during a Newsmax interview, commenting on the ongoing ballot count in California and responding to the GOP's frustration as former reality TV star and GOP candidate Los Angeles mayor candidate Spencer Pratt slipped out of the runoff race, placing third behind incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman.

"Some people can just dig through garbage cans, find ballots and send them in apparently forever after an election is over. It's not OK, it's got to come to an end and people need to go jail," Fine said.

But the internet was quick to call Fine out for his baseless allegations.

"This is a new one, an extension of classic 'ballots in a dumpster' rumors, suggesting that fraudsters are dumpster diving for ballots and then using them to vote. It [is] absurd and ignores any number of structural reasons that wouldn’t work as well as a complete lack of evidence of that happening," online rumors expert Kate Starbird, professor at the University of Washington, HCDE and co-founder of the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public, wrote on Bluesky.

"Randy Fine claims people are literally dumpster diving for fraudulent ballots in California. Cool story, bro," journalist Aaron Rupar, who has more than 1.1 million followers, wrote on X.

"Randy Fine is 2,000 miles away and a camera w----," neuroscientist and technologist Dr. Joseph Santoro, who has more than 18,000 followers and helped lead the White House and Organizing for Action during the Obama administration, wrote on X.

Governor Newsom Press Office, an official account for California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom with more than 704,000 followers on X, shared a circle graph teasing "no" and "no, but in yellow."

Randy Fine claims people are literally dumpster diving for fraudulent ballots in California 😆

cool story, bro pic.twitter.com/TLU3mgjIgn
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 8, 2026

This fast-growing voting bloc is costing campaigns as 'one of the hardest' to reach: Axios

Political campaigns are struggling to find ways to reach the country's "fastest-growing religious groups" — and it's a costly effort, according to an Axios report on Monday.

Dubbed the "nones," this group has captured the attention of political strategists because they are among one of the largest key voting blocs and people who are unaffiliated with specific religious organizations.

"But without church-based networks, they're significantly more expensive for campaigns to reach and mobilize," Axios reported, adding that campaigns have turned to digital ads, canvassing and speaking with these voters to try and contact them.

"'Nones' are geographically and socially dispersed," according to Axios. They often live in secular regions of the United States, in cities such as Seattle, Portland and in areas of New England. The "'nones' now rival or exceed Christians as a share of the population."

The "nones" represent much of the electorate.

"A record 29% of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated — the largest single religious cohort, surpassing Catholics (19%) and evangelical Protestants (23%), per Pew Research Center," Axios reported.

One generation in particular — Gen Z — skews less religious than other generations with nearly 4 in 10 adults ages 18-29 voting unaffiliated, nonpartisan organization Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) reported.

Trump-appointed judge deals blow to DOJ's voter roll grab

A Trump-appointed federal judge dealt a blow to the Department of Justice's efforts to collect sensitive voter roll information, according to reports.

U.S. District Judge Lance Walker, a Trump appointee in Maine, ruled against a DOJ lawsuit demanding the state's voter rolls, according to reporting by All Rise News.

“Comity between coequal sovereigns is the hallmark of a thrumming republic," Walker wrote in his ruling.

Allowing the federal government access to every state's voter rolls on demand "would take a sledgehammer to the balance Congress struck when it required states to create and maintain computerized lists of registered voters in the first place," Walker added.

Walker's decision came the same day U.S. District Judge James Peterson, an Obama appointee, made a similar decision and slapped down the DOJ's reach for Wisconsin voter rolls.

The DOJ Civil Rights Division chief, Harmeet Dhillon, filed thirty lawsuits across the country to get access to state voter rolls, according to All Rise News, which noted that Dhillon is "Donald Trump's former election denialist lawyer."

All Rise News also recorded that the DOJ is on an "0-8 losing streak" in its nationwide litigation effort.

CNN fact-checker busts Trump over 'truly bananas' claim to reporters

A CNN fact-checker called out President Donald Trump's false claims that the presidential elections in 2016, 2020 and 2024 were "rigged" against him in a rant to reporters on Wednesday.

Trump was speaking to press at Joint Base Andrews when a reporter asked him if he saw himself in Spencer Pratt, a MAGA-backed Los Angeles mayoral candidate. The president called elections in California "dishonest," which CNN Senior Reporter Daniel Dale pointed out was false.

"If we had Jesus Christ come down and count the votes, I would've won California. Because I do great with Hispanics. But it's a rigged vote," Trump claimed.

Dale described why Trump's comments were incorrect.

"Truly bananas claim President Trump has made on multiple occasions. He lost California by 30 points in 2016 (more than 4 million votes), 29 points in 2020 (more than 5 million votes) and 20 points in 2024 (more than 3 million votes). Votes are counted accurately in every state," Dale wrote in a post on X.

Trump has repeatedly argued that elections are rigged against him, which started in his complaints about the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden. These claims have been rejected by election officials and courts, although Trump has continued making allegations about other elections and voting processes.

Truly bananas claim President Trump has made on multiple occasions. He lost California by 30 points in 2016 (more than 4 million votes), 29 points in 2020 (more than 5 million votes) and 20 points in 2024 (more than 3 million votes). Votes are counted accurately in every state. https://t.co/kDPuKobjTf
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 20, 2026

Judge blocks battleground state from restricting poll watchers during election: report

A judge in Georgia has forced state officials in the battleground state to allow poll watchers on Tuesday as voters in the Peach State cast their ballots in the midterm primary elections, according to reports.

"A Fulton County judge just issued a temporary restraining order forcing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office to allow poll watchers and State Election Board observers to monitor the tabulation and reporting of today’s election results," Greg Bluestein, chief political reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, wrote on X.

Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville granted a temporary restraining order against Brad Raffensperger’s office, and the court order outlined that designated poll watchers have the right to observe "the tabulation, aggregation, verification, and reporting of election results at the Secretary of State’s central office, Election Night Reporting Room, or any other facility or location where county results are received, processed, aggregated, verified, recorded or reported on May 19, 2026."

Raffensperger’s office cannot restrict or exclude the state's election board-designated observers, monitors or authorized representatives — and they should be granted "proximity and vantage points from which they can meaningfully observe all activities without interfering with the orderly conduct of election operations."

Connecticut Republican ends gov campaign over allegations of credit card fraud

A Republican former mayor in Connecticut has suspended her campaign for governor on Thursday, after evidence surfaced that she fraudulently used a city credit card for her own personal use.

According to CT Insider, former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart has been accused by a third-party law firm investigation of "using her city-issued card to pay for membership in a social club, clothes for her personal use and supplies for her daughter's birthday party, among many other purchases."

"The investigation, commissioned by the city of New Britain, adds additional detail to recent media reports about Stewart's improper use of public money," said the report. "Before Thursday, Stewart had declined to explain what appeared to be tens of thousands of dollars in personal charges on her city-issued card, blaming the media and her opponents for the story while promising to address the specifics at a later date."

In response to the report, Stewart stated, "I take the allegations that have been made against me very seriously. And for that reason, I am suspending my gubernatorial campaign effective immediately so that I can focus on addressing those claims."

She also vowed to make full restitution for the improper payments.

"It is my intention not only to suspend my campaign but also to step back from public life as I do what is necessary to address these questions and make things right," she added. "I cannot change the past, but I can make the next right decision — and this is it."

Republicans have not controlled Connecticut's governor's mansion since 2011. Democratic incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont is seeking a third term, although he has a primary challenger in state Rep. Josh Elliott.

'Asked you a very clear question!' Clash erupts with MAGA candidate over oath keepers past

MAGA California Governor candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco got into a clash on Saturday night when he was asked about his ties to the far-right Oath Keepers militia, with the GOP gubernatorial hopeful appearing visibly angry over the line of questioning.

Bianco joined The Weekend: Primetime to discuss his past and current run for office when the back-and-forth heated up. Bianco's campaign has focused on law and order, and co-host Elise Jordan pressed him to discuss the Oath Keepers, which have been described by experts and watchdog organizations as extremists and an anti-government group with people who often believe in conspiracy theories.

"There were Oath Keepers present at the insurrection on January 6th, at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville years ago," Jordan said. "And just a few days ago, you told CNN that you were very proud of your past affiliation with the Oath Keepers. If you're so proud, why aren't you still involved with them?"

Bianco was frustrated and pushed back on Jordan, attempting to say she had made false claims despite the reality.

"Even in the question? I mean, the things that you're saying and the things that you laid out there, those aren't true," Bianco said. "Those are all propaganda statements that you're reading off of a teleprompter or a piece of paper."

Co-host Antonia Hylton interjected, asking Bianco a specific question.

"Were Oath Keepers not present on January 6th?" Hylton asked.

Catherine Rampell, fellow co-host, also stepped in to fact-check.

"Stewart Rhodes, Who founded the Oath Keepers, was convicted of seditious conspiracy for helping organize January 6th," Rampell said.

Bianco then tried to change the subject.

"My law enforcement deputies and investigators have arrested numerous, numerous media personnel for child molestation. That doesn't mean any of you are child molesters, does it?"

Hylton kept asking Bianco her question again.

"I don't see what that has to do with my question. I asked you a very clear question, sheriff," Hylton fired back.

"How many media exactly have you arrested for child molestation? That's a pretty serious charge, right?... Lock them up. But how many? Give us a number, then. You're bragging about one of your achievements," Jordan said, pushing Bianco to another fact-check.

"It's exactly the point, because three people that were arrested on January 6th happened to be a member of an organization. Doesn't make the membership bad," Bianco said, defending the right-wing group.

"I asked you a very clear question that I think the voters of California, and I actually think Americans deserve to know, you said on a stage that you were very proud of your membership," Hylton said. "If you are very proud, why are you not still in the Oath Keepers?"

Republicans walked into 'one of the stupidest traps I've ever seen': ex-GOP operative

The GOP is walking into an embarrassing trap by stumping for one of Trump's vanity projects, said an ex-GOP political operative on Friday.

"This is one of the stupidest political traps I've ever seen somebody walk themselves into," said former Republican political strategist Rick Wilson during an appearance on MS NOW. "I want Republicans to vote for the ballroom."

Wilson was talking about Trump's White House ballroom. Senate Republicans are asking that taxpayers fork over $1 billion to fund security features in the Trump ballroom and have tied the demand into a $70 billion reconciliation package to fund federal immigration enforcement.

"I want them to go out and cheerlead for the ballroom every day," Wilson said, as he would like to see the GOP continue to shoot itself in the foot. "The GOP, while they're nervous...They're still not going to publicly defy Trump."

Wilson explained that "the ads write themselves" as farmers in rural districts deal with "record farm bankruptcies and unbelievably high fuel costs." It would be easy to imagine "that farmer looking straight into the camera saying, 'you know, we're going to lose the farm, we're going bankrupt, but at least I get to pay for a ballroom with my taxes,'" Wilson said.

"The suburban mom at the grocery store or at the gas pump: 'At least I get to pay for a ballroom. Can't really afford to go to work, but I'm going to pay for the ballroom,'" Wilson said.

"If they cast this vote, it is going to get hung around their neck like a dead animal," Wilson predicted. "And it's going to stink all the way to election day."

'Fake': NY Times editors pinpoint crack in Trump's armor that could bring him down

The New York Times editorial board had a message Tuesday on what it takes to defeat Trumpism — and authoritarianism — as midterms approach.

The editors described how the landslide defeat of Viktor Orban by Peter Magyar in Hungary should inspire Americans hoping to see change in the United States amid President Donald Trump's tumultuous second administration. They outlined the different ways opposing candidates could identify vulnerabilities for Trump and his regime using Magyar as an example of how to defeat autocratic rule and apply "an American version of this strategy."

By talking directly about Orban's 16 years in power and the stagnant living standards in Hungary, Magyar saw the opportunity to give voters a new promise: reliable medical care, a secure family life and retirement. He said that political connections shouldn't matter and used the frustrations people were feeling to lay out his plan. He campaigned in rural areas of the country, adopted an even harsher immigration policy and distanced himself from a Pride march and LGBTQ issues, and although the editorial board did not agree with all of his maneuvers, it did recommend other politicians look closely at the strategy.

This is something a Trump opponent can do: highlight the corruption during Trump's leadership, including the Iran war, the use of pardons to excuse his allies, tax policies that have made life harder for working Americans and easier for the wealthy, and climbing gas prices.

"His populism is fake. It serves a small slice of wealthy, well-connected people at the expense of most Americans, and it leaves him and his party politically vulnerable to an opposition that can credibly use government as a force for good," according to the Editorial Board.

Democrats can use this to their advantage. They need to develop an "ambitious agenda" and not just focus on criticism of Trump.

"The second lesson may be harder for Democrats — and center-left parties in Europe — to absorb," the editors explained. "Mr. Magyar, who identifies as center right, won partly by avoiding the social progressivism that dominates elite left-leaning circles and alienates many voters. He ran as an economic progressive and a cultural moderate if not conservative."

Magyar — whose last name means "Hungarian" — relied on symbolism, using the Hungarian flag and a variety of other messaging styles.

"Mr. Magyar thoroughly defeated this far-right giant. The free world should take an honest look at how he did it," the editorial board added.

'Campaign in free fall': Swalwell hemorrhaging staff as Dem leaders call for exit

California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) was facing calls to step out of the competitive race and lost the last of his 21 endorsements from his Democratic congressional colleagues after sexual misconduct and assault allegations surfaced, according to reports on Saturday.

Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) rescinded her support for Swalwell, who had been leading the Golden State primary election for Democratic candidates, Axios reported.

"It's a stunning reversal of political fortunes in just 24 hours. Swalwell was among the frontrunners in the race, but his campaign is in free fall due to allegations of rape, sexual assault and misconduct, which he denies," according to Axios.

"His page on the Democratic fundraising website ActBlue and the endorsement tab on his website have been pulled down, his ad buys are being pulled back, at least one fundraiser has been scrapped, and he is reportedly hemorrhaging staff," the outlet reported.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced on Saturday that it launched an investigation into Swalwell after multiple women have accused the gubernatorial candidate of sexual misconduct, and in one instance, sexual assault.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) said she has planned to force a vote to expel him from Congress.

"It's not just Swalwell's erstwhile endorsers calling for him to drop out of the race — party leaders are urging him to do so as well. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement that he should 'immediately end his campaign,'" Axios reported.

California Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks shared a similar sentiment.

"My call for all — repeat, all — candidates for Governor to 'honestly assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign' still stands. In fact, that call is more important now than ever before," Hicks said in a statement.