Overview
- At an Arizona press conference, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called elections a DHS critical infrastructure responsibility and said she has authority to identify vulnerabilities and implement mitigation measures.
- Noem said the administration is working to make sure "we have the right people voting" and criticized Arizona’s past election administration as a "disaster" marked by machine and software failures.
- Election-law experts, including the Brennan Center’s Wendy Weiser, countered that DHS does not control election administration or determine voter eligibility, and public figures from both parties denounced Noem’s phrasing.
- Noem endorsed the House-passed SAVE Act to require proof of U.S. citizenship for federal registration, though the bill still faces a Senate vote and its final outcome remains uncertain.
- President Trump signaled he might pursue voter ID requirements by executive order, and new reporting from the Wall Street Journal alleged internal turmoil at DHS under Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski.