USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and his political loyalists have been setting the stage to intervene in the Nov. 3 midterm elections by making false claims about the vulnerability of America's electoral system to foreign meddling – including by China – and hiding less alarming current intelligence from the public, according to the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees.
They're concerned the Trump administration is planning to use the pretext of foreign interference to seize ballots in some closely contested races, if Democrats win, or even impound voting machines before the polls close. And they're taking concrete steps, largely behind the scenes, to thwart such efforts.
Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Intelligence committee Democrats, are spearheading the effort. They're working with current and former intelligence and election security officials, legal groups and other stakeholders.
“This is not just a legitimate concern; it's a probable scenario,” Himes told USA TODAY in an interview. "The stage is being set for an announcement that the elections he loses badly were corrupt ... and that the president is going to reject the results of the election."
Himes’ worst fear, he said, is a false Election Day claim by the administration “that the Iranians...
Democrats worry the president will intervene in the midterm elections by claiming foreign interference. Here's what they're doing to stop him USA TODAY WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and his ...