U.S. election administrators and Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign condemned former President Donald Trump’s recent threats to prosecute and jail “corrupt” election officials if he wins the 2024 election. The comments, made by Trump in a social media post on Saturday, were accused of fostering intimidation and potentially inciting violence, drawing sharp rebukes from both political figures and election administrators.
In his post, Trump, the Republican frontrunner, vowed to pursue those he believes would commit voter fraud in the 2024 election. His statement read: “We cannot let our Country further devolve into a Third World Nation, AND WE WON’T! Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.”
This marks a continuation of Trump’s false claims regarding his 2020 election defeat to President Joe Biden, a narrative he also used to rally supporters ahead of the January 6 Capitol attack. Trump’s repeated allegations of widespread voter fraud, despite numerous studies showing it to be extremely rare in the U.S., have caused heightened security concerns for election officials.
Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s Democratic Secretary of State, described Trump’s comments as “tyrannical” and warned that such statements could incite violence. “Security is now one of the main considerations in election administration,” Fontes told Reuters. “Trump’s comments give the potential for bad actors to take them as a call to arms.”
Kamala Harris’ campaign spokesperson, Amman Moussa, echoed the concerns, calling Trump’s remarks “extreme and unhinged,” and accusing him of increasing threats of revenge.
Election officials, including Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, vowed to remain focused on ensuring secure and accurate elections despite the rhetoric. “No amount of lies, delusions or threats will distract us from that purpose,” Benson stated.
Trump and Harris are in a tight race for the presidency, with opinion polls showing the 2024 election contest too close to call. Harris stepped into the Democratic candidacy after President Biden withdrew from the race in July, swiftly closing the gap Trump previously held in polling.
