FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2026
On July 16, President Trump addressed the American people regarding election security and integrity that affects every legal voter in America, and those abroad who have a civil right to vote in our elections. Strangely, federally licensed “news” broadcast networks did not carry the President’s primetime address. For that, their licenses to operate should be questioned due to the importance of the message put out by the President.
On July 17, Department of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin held a press conference further explaining the federal government’s response to the declassified information covered by President Trump’s briefing to the people the day before.
Sec. Mullin focused on explaining how the federal government plans to implement election security measures ahead of the 2026 midterms, echoing and operationalizing Trump’s declassified intelligence reports about foreign interference (especially China), voter roll issues, and system vulnerabilities.
Note: On January 6, 2017, then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson designated U.S. election infrastructure as a subsector of the existing “Government Facilities” critical infrastructure sector. In that declaration, Johnson rationalized the vital national interest in elections and the need to prioritize cybersecurity assistance amid sophisticated threats (e.g., nation-states, criminals, hacktivists), especially after reports of Russian interference attempts in 2016. Johnson’s statement was announced at the same time a declassified intelligence assessment on Russian activities was released.
The Election Fairness Institute (EFI) is pleased to have played a role in promoting much of what Sec. Mullin spoke to, including:
- Machine Security and Vulnerabilities: Voting machines must be secured due to risks from foreign adversaries (e.g., parts produced abroad that could enable tampering). CISA will soon release an updated election infrastructure plan to include mandatory basic security enhancements.
- Conditional Federal Funding and Compliance Mandates: States must cooperate with DHS on securing voting machines and scrubbing voter rolls to receive federal grants/reimbursements for running federal elections. Non-compliance will result in withheld aid (potentially including counterterrorism/homeland security grants via FEMA) and prioritized federal scrutiny/investigations of their elections. This could also mean DoJ monitoring of future elections.
- Voter Roll “Scrub” and SAVE Program: Emphasis on cleaning registration lists to remove ineligible voters, including non-citizens (“illegal aliens”), deceased individuals, and others. States are urged/required to use or participate in the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program for citizenship checks. Letters were sent to secretaries of state in states like California, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, citing tens of thousands (part of a broader ~250,000–278,000 claimed non-citizen registrations from sample reviews).
- Accountability for Election Officials: Officials who fail to comply with federal election law after receiving guidance could face fines, penalties, or (in extreme cases) prison time. The Secretary stressed that holding officials “accountable” if they don’t secure systems or share data will be a major focus for enforcement
- Enforcement Against Illegal Voting: The Secretary mionced no words when he explained that law enforcement will engage in aggressive pursuit of individuals who vote illegally. “We will hunt you down, we will find you, and we will prosecute you.” Pre- and post-election record scrubbing; penalties up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 fines for illegal voting or restoration.
This message was about moving forward, not relitigating 2020, but preventing future election tampering issues by exposing vulnerabilities and building public confidence. Partnership with the states is required; voters should hold non-compliant officials accountable. Sec Mullin’s comments were to provide solutions to vulnerabilities found through declassifying documents on alleged Chinese data compromises (e.g., ~220 million voter files), Deep State cover-ups, and machine risks.
“EFI has engaged in research and reporting on these election security elements since 2020, all the while suffering from attacks by election fraud deniers. We are pleased to see that the message has finally been recognized and matches up with National Security Document declassifications released by DNI Gabbord and Acting DNI Pulte. Now, maybe we can get on with the business of securing American elections and hardening them against enemies of the United States, both foreign and domestic.”
Hon. Mark Finchem,
Arizona State Senator
Executive Director
520-808-7340
EFI is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization funded by private donors, focused on the analysis of election procedure, process, and system components that demonstrate potential defects impacting election security, transparency, and, ultimately, integrity. Such defects cut across all political lines and get to the heart of the “Equal Protection” clause of the Fourteenth Amendment for every American citizen.