Donald Trump sparked a fierce backlash after issuing a chilling threat to jail what he calls “corrupt” election officials if he wins the 2024 presidential election. The former president’s latest social media outburst has been slammed as a dangerous act of intimidation that could incite violence.
In a post on Saturday, Trump vowed to pursue legal action against a wide array of individuals, including election officials, lawyers, and donors he says are implicated in voter fraud—a crime that studies show is virtually nonexistent in the U.S.
Trump’s statement read: “We cannot let our Country further devolve into a Third World Nation, AND WE WON’T! Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.”
This declaration is a grim echo of Trump’s unfounded claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election, claims that spurred the violent January 6th Capitol insurrection.
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Adrian Fontes, Secretary of State for Arizona, blasted Trump’s rhetoric as “tyrannical,” warning it could trigger political violence. On CNN, Fontes emphasized the dangers of Trump’s threats, highlighting that they attack not only Democrats but also Republicans, independents, and others involved in election administration.
Fontes remarked, “This is concerning, particularly for all those folks out there whose integrity is being impugned. These comments are not political. They are tyrannical.”
He condemned Trump for substituting personal grievances for respect for the rule of law, contrasting his own acceptance of election results with Trump’s relentless, baseless fraud allegations.
Kamala Harris’ campaign labeled Trump’s comments as “extreme and unhinged,” accusing him of escalating his threats into dangerous calls for revenge and retribution.
Since his 2020 defeat, Trump has regularly leveled false accusations against election workers, resulting in numerous threats against them.
In response to Trump’s Saturday threats, Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Secretary of State, vowed to uphold the integrity of the electoral process. On X, she asserted: “My duty – and that of every election official in this nation – is to rise above the noise and continue to ensure our elections are fair, secure, accessible, and that the results are accurate. No amount of lies, delusions or threats will distract us from that purpose.”
Watch Fontes’s interview below:
Adrian Fontes, #Arizions Secretary of State is in charge of elections. He responds to Trumps threats to jail election officials IF he wins. We have to vote for @KamalaHarris because Trump will be a dictator if he gets back in the White House. #KamalaAndTim #TrumpIsUnfitForOffice pic.twitter.com/WVV5fY9Xvq
— Wise Latinas Linked (@wiselatinaslink) September 9, 2024
