How Trump is trying to take over the midterms
Summary
Host Rose Aguilar interviews ProPublica reporters Jen Fifield and Peter Elkkind about their investigation into the Trump administration’s failed hunt for non-citizen voters. They discuss how election deniers were placed in key federal roles, leading to the dismantling of election security infrastructure and the misuse of Homeland Security Investigations resources. The episode highlights the resulting false positives, privacy concerns, and the broader threat to democratic integrity ahead of the midterm elections.
Topics discussed
Introduction: ProPublica investigation into Trump's election efforts
ProPublica's investigative focus and recent major stories
Changes in election integrity and federal interference concerns
Staffing changes: Removal of career officials and new appointees
Dismantling of CISA and impact on election cybersecurity
Broken trust in election systems and advice for voters
Key figures: Heather Honeycutt and Eric Neff at the DOJ
Systematic efforts to influence elections ahead of midterms
State-level differences in response to Trump's election agenda
Redistricting battles and postal service rule changes
Transition to Peter Elkkind and overview of his reporting
The failed hunt for non-citizen voters and its rarity
Repurposing HSI agents from serious crimes to voter rolls
Anthony Salisbury's role and controversial background
Elimination of guardrails and oversight in the administration
Privacy concerns over transferring voter rolls to HSI
Internal DOJ warnings about legal risks of data sharing
Voter suppression tactics and advice for ensuring votes count
ProPublica's future coverage and closing remarks
Listen ad-free on Castria