The Dictatorship
DOJ paid more than $1 million settlement to anti-abortion protester — after a federal judge tossed his suit
The Trump Justice Department paid a $1.1 million settlement to an anti-abortion protester, even after a George W. Bush-appointed judge dismissed the protester’s lawsuit against the government with prejudice, according to a former DOJ prosecutor and the protester’s lawyer.
Two former federal government officials who spoke to MS NOW characterized the settlement paid to Mark Houck, a longtime anti-abortion activist, as the latest example of the Trump DOJ making concessions to previously prosecuted abortion opponents under the guise of protecting their religious freedom.
Houck is a 52-year-old Pennsylvania resident and the founder of The King’s Men, described as a donation-based, anti-pornography and anti-abortion Catholic meeting group for men. He unsuccessfully ran as a Republican in 2024 to represent Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional district.
Following Houck’s September 2022 arrest for allegedly shoving a 72-year-old clinic escort at a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood — he was later acquitted of those charges at trial — his case became a rallying cry for the GOP and abortion rights opponents, who alleged he was targeted by overzealous prosecutors in Biden’s DOJ for his religious beliefs.
Houck’s case is discussed in a more-than-800-page report the DOJ released on Tuesday that purports to expose “the Biden administration’s weaponization” of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, a 1994 law that prohibits obstructing access to reproductive health clinics. The report frames Houck’s case as an example of the Biden DOJ using “aggressive tactics” against an abortion opponent, and says some supervisors did not think the FACE Act was a proper charge for the circumstances. MS NOW first reported on the existence of the DOJ report last week, after reviewing a draft copy.
The report says the government “recently reached a settlement agreement with Houck,” but does not provide further details or specify the amount. The report also does not mention that a federal judge dismissed Houck’s lawsuit against the government and that it was pending appeal at the time of the settlement.
Houck’s lawyer, Edward Greim, told CBS News the DOJ agreed to the $1.1 million settlement in February, prior to the Houcks’ move to withdraw their appeal. Houck declined an interview request from MS NOW and Greim, his lawyer, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Abortion opponents celebrated news of the settlement, while two former federal officials characterized it to MS NOW as yet another example of the Trump administration kowtowing to abortion opponents who the Biden administration prosecuted under the FACE Act. The Trump administration has alleged the FACE Act has historically been weaponized against abortion opponents and has pledged to roll back those prosecutions — even as prosecutors employ a lesser-used provision of the law to try to prosecute former BLN journalist Don Lemon and protesters for entering a church in Minneapolis.
A former DOJ prosecutor with knowledge of Houck’s case told MS NOW they see the settlement as “rewarding a MAGA supporter,” and a former federal law enforcement official called it “concerning” given that Houck’s prior lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge.
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, a national legal organization that supports abortion rights, said in a statement provided to MS NOW that Houck’s settlement “should embarrass every person who touched it,” adding that it “represents an abuse of the rule of law.”
In response to questions, a Justice Department spokesperson referred MS NOW to a statement from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stating Trump’s DOJ “will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice.”
“No Department should conduct selective prosecution based on beliefs,” Blanche added. “The weaponization that happened under the Biden Administration will not happen again, as we restore integrity to our prosecutorial system.”
Houck was indicted in September 2022 on charges of violating the FACE Act for allegedly assaulting a volunteer escort at a Planned Parenthood in October 2021. According to the government’s indictment, Houck twice shoved the escort to the ground, including while the escort was accompanying two patients leaving the clinic.
Houck’s attorneys denied the government’s account, alleging the incident occurred outside an anti-abortion pregnancy resource center across the street from a Planned Parenthood, and arguing that the DOJ was engaging in “viewpoint discrimination” by seeking to prosecute Houck for his anti-abortion beliefs. They also argued that the escort — not Houck — was the aggressor, and that Houck only shoved the escort after the escort “approached and verbally confronted” Houck and his 12-year-old son.
Houck was acquitted of the charges at a five-day jury trial in January 2023. Less than a year later, Houck filed a civil lawsuit alleging “a faulty and malicious investigation” and excessive force against the federal government and Pennsylvania state and local police officers, involved in his September 2022 arrest, when armed federal and state police arrested him at his home while his wife and 7 children were present.
Houck and his wife alleged in the lawsuit that the stress of the arrest led to three miscarriages for the couple and, ultimately, an infertility diagnosis, along with emotional distress for their children.
A former federal law enforcement official told MS NOW that Houck’s arrest “was appropriate and done in accordance with FBI procedures.”
Last March, Judge Paul Diamond of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ordered Houck’s suit dismissed with prejudice — meaning it cannot be refiled — alleging he had failed to state a plausible claim.
Diamond wrote in his 20-page order that Houck’s complaint “generates considerably more heat than light,” adding that his “indignation is not a substitute for plausibility, however.”
Houck subsequently filed a notice of appeal, before moving to withdraw it in February, records show.
The ex-DOJ prosecutor, who handled multiple FACE Act cases, told MS NOW they believe the account of Houck’s case included in the newly-released “weaponization” report “was not representative of the government, it was representative of the defense.” The source added that the prosecutors involved in Houck’s case were not consulted as the report was prepared, and that at least 1 of the 3 prosecutors received an order from Blanche earlier this year to hand over records related to the case. The former DOJ prosecutor said that request seemed “out of the ordinary, because the civil case had been dismissed.”
“I couldn’t believe this was still being batted around,” they added.
The source also said Sanjay Patel — who prosecuted many FACE Act cases against people later pardoned by President Donald Trump — was told as he was being escorted from the building last month to be placed on administrative leave that he was the reason Houck received the settlement.
Patel was one of four prosecutors fired on Monday in preparation of the release of the “weaponization report,” MS NOW reported. He has not responded to repeated requests for comment from MS NOW.
The ex-DOJ prosecutor told MS NOW they disagree with the allegations included in the “weaponization” report that Houck, and other abortion opponents, were targeted due to their beliefs. The prosecutor added that they are Catholic, and that their own beliefs “never factored into my prosecutorial activities.”
“In any case that I’ve handled,” the source said, “I evaluate the facts of the case based on the law.”
Carol Leonnig contributed to this reporting
Julianne McShane is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW who also covers the politics of abortion and reproductive rights. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at jmcshane.19 or follow her on X or Bluesky.
Israel struck Iran on Monday after being targeted by missiles, while a U.S. military base in Saudi Arabia came under fire in the most serious exchange of hostilities since an April ceasefire, raising the possibility of a return to heavy fighting and complicating mediation efforts to end the war.
Today’s live updates have ended. See what you missed below, and find more at apnews.com.
What to know:
- The Iranian military’s joint command said that it is halting its offensive operations hours after Israel and Iran began trading fire early Monday in retaliatory strikes that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a full-scale regional war.
- In a brief statement, Netanyahu said the fighting has stopped “after we hit the terror regime in Tehran.” But he said, “If the terror regime in Iran makes the mistake and returns to attacking us, we will respond with force.”
- Netanyahu also said that Israel is continuing to operate against Iran’s allythe Lebanese militant group Hezbollahand that Israel “has full right to self-defense and we will exercise it to the full extent necessary.”
More from Netanyahu
The Israeli prime minister’s brief statement added that “right now, the fire has been halted.” It was his first public statement since Iran fired missiles at Israel late Sunday. They were intercepted.
Netanyahu asserted Israel’s right to self-defense, “and I say this with appreciation and respect in my good conversations with my friend President Trump.” Netanyahu appears to have openly defied Trump with a strike in Beirut on Sunday and then retaliatory attacks against Iran.
JUST IN: Israel’s Netanyahu acknowledges halt in fighting with Iran but vows to respond ‘with force’ to future attacks.
Syria reopens its airspace
The civil aviation authority also says operations at Damascus International Airport have resumed.
Israeli strikes on Iran wound 15
Israeli strikes on Iran Monday wounded at least 15 people, the National Emergency Medical Organization said in a statement published by the Iranian official news agency.
No fatalities have been reported so far, the organization said. The statement did not specify whether the wounded were civilians or military personnel, noting that 14 of the injured were from Mahshahr in the province of Khuzestan, while one was from Tehran.
Pakistan’s prime minister calls for restraint
Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed concern over the recent surge in violence in the Middle East and urged all parties to “exercise restraint.”
In a post on X, Sharif said the latest escalation was “a stark reminder of the dangers associated with a tenuous ceasefire and the unbearable consequences it may lead to.”
Sharif also called for diplomacy over further escalation.
Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 5 people, including a child
Israeli strikes on Monday killed at least five people, including a child, across Gaza, according to hospital officials.
A strike killed two people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Monday morning, according to Nasser Hospital, while another left three people dead in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, including Jad Soleiman, an 8-year-old boy, according to Shifa Hospital. Several were also wounded.
Jad’s father, Yusuf, clutched his son’s backpack and kissed his face as the child’s body, wrapped in a white burial shroud, lay before him.
“He was coming home from school,” Soleiman said. “I ran to him and found him lying down with his bag still on. It’s covered in his blood. He was wounded and bleeding from the neck. He was taking his last breaths.”
Gaza City and Deir al-Balah in central Gaza were also hit. Casualty figures were not immediately available.
The Israeli army said it struck some Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, adding it would give further details later.
The attacks were the latest in a series of strikes that have hit homes and shelters across Gaza since October’s fragile ceasefire that sought to halt the more than two-year war.
US tells Iran no more Israeli attacks if Tehran halts strikes, official says
The U.S. told Iran there would be no more attacks by Israel if Tehran halted its missile strikes, and that Israel has agreed to halt attacks for now, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The White House and Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Israeli army says 3 projectiles fired at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon
The army said two projectiles were intercepted, while one landed near the soldiers, adding there were no injuries.
The launches triggered air raid sirens in northern Israel.
Schools across Israel will remain closed for a second day
Education Minister Yoav Kisch said in a post on X Monday afternoon that schools would not open on Tuesday.
On Sunday evening, Israel’s military updated its guidelines for civilians, limiting large gatherings and canceling school across the country for the first time since the earlier round of fighting with Iran in April.
Kisch said the Ministry of Education aims to reopen classrooms on Wednesday under guidelines that would ensure students have access to close shelter.
Iraq reopens its airspace
Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority announced that the country’s airspace has reopened after earlier announcing a 72-hour closure in response to the renewed exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.
Syrian man finds a missile partially buried in his field
A missile lay partially buried in a field on the outskirts of the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday, surrounded by scorched earth after overnight exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran sent projectiles across the region.
The missile’s impact left a blackened patch of ground where a fire broke out, according to the field’s owner, Mahmoud Ataya. He said residents heard a loud explosion during the night but did not immediately know what had happened. When they went to put out the fire, they found half of the missile protruding from the ground. No casualties were reported.
State media in Syria reported explosions in the skies over Damascus Sunday night, attributing them to Israeli air defenses intercepting missiles fired from Iran. Associated Press journalists in the Syrian capital also reported hearing loud explosions overnight
Iranian military’s joint command says it is halting its offensive operations
The Iranian military’s joint command said Monday it was halting its offensive operations after Israel and Iran exchanged fire in their first attacks since the U.S. struck a ceasefire with Tehran two months ago.
The joint command said that if Israel or its supporters carried out any further “aggression and hostile acts,” including in southern Lebanon, then “much more severe and crushing measures than before will follow.”
JUST IN: Iranian military’s joint command says it is halting its offensive operations after Israel and Iran exchanged fire
EU approves sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities
The European Union’s foreign policy chief said the 27-member bloc appro ved sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities involved in disrupting transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Kaja Kallas said after a meeting with EU defense ministers on Monday that this is the first time the EU has applied a new freedom-of-navigation sanctions system “and where necessary will apply it again.”
“Ministers were clear today that Iran’s actions are unacceptable,” Kallas said.
Trump claims negotiations are ongoing
Trump later posted again to his Truth Social website, insisting that both Israel and Iran were “looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE!”
He claimed negotiations were ongoing, “subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.”
Frustrated Israelis return to war routines
A vendor looks on from the window of his shop at a local street market following air raid sirens warning of incoming Iranian missiles in Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
A vendor looks on from the window of his shop at a local street market following air raid sirens warning of incoming Iranian missiles in Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Israelis returned on Monday to war routines, established during the last round of fighting with Iran, with a sense of resigned apathy.
Schools were closed across the country, but many businesses remained open. In Tel Aviv, streets were more subdued than on a regular weekday, but many were still shopping for groceries and running errands after a morning that sent people to shelters multiple times for the first time since April.
Many blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the renewal of missiles from Iran.
“The behavior of the government and the prime minister and the way he’s brought us into unending wars and his constant lies to his infantile base don’t help me sleep well at night,” said 63-year-old retired economist Moshe Regev.
Israel says it targeted Iranian petrochemical facilities
The Israeli military said it targeted petrochemical facilities in Mahshahr to hit sites used to produce “unique materials that serve as critical components for the development of ballistic missiles.”
What some Tehran residents say about the war
Some Tehran residents said they were bracing for a potentially prolonged conflict, after Iran and Israel exchanged strikes on Monday.
“I think Iran did a good thing. … I think this war is going to continue for a long time, and we won’t give up until victory,” said Reza Khorramgah, 37.
Another resident, Mohammad Ghodrati, said that “all Iranians support peace” and that his country has not sought war, but has at times been forced to respond to conflicts “imposed” on it.
“I think ultimately if we want Iran to be great and proud, we must pay the price,” he added.
Trump says Israel and Iran must stop shooting
In his first comments since Iran and Israel traded fire, Trump wrote online: “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting.’”
Iraq closes airspace for 72 hours
Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority on Monday said the closure was a “precautionary measure” to preserve the safety and security of civil aviation.
It added that the decision will be subject to continuous review and reassessment and airlines and relevant sides will be notified of any new developments.
29 Lebanese army members have been killed in Israeli strikes since March
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos released the toll Monday, two days after an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed three members of the Lebanese army, including a brigadier general and a captain.
Morcos said that since the Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2, three police, one member of the General Security Directorate and 13 state security members have been killed in Israeli attacks. Also killed was a member of the parliament’s security.
A total of 3,613 people have been killed, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The Israeli military has said it operates against Hezbollah and not against the Lebanese army.
Syria temporary closes Damascus airport as Iran and Israel trade fire
Damascus International Airport will remain closed until 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) Monday.
Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation closed the country’s southern airspace, which includes Damascus. The measure is related to the latest exchange of fire between Iran and Israel, it said.
Air defenses in Tehran and other cities open fire
Just before noon, air defense systems around Tehran and multiple Iranian cities opened fire, with some claims of attacks ongoing.
Oil prices rise sharply
Oil prices surged as Israel launched airstrikes early Monday targeting central and western Iran in response to missile fire.
Brent crude, the international standard, jumped $4.40 to $97.49 a barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude surged $3.95 to $94.49 a barrel.
The latest spate of attacks was straining efforts to end the conflict as a tentative deal reached last week to extend a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has not yet been finalized.
Israel says it targeted Iranian missile launchers
Israel’s military said it targeted truck-based surface-to-air missile launchers in its strikes Monday on Iran.
It said Iran had deployed the systems across the country in a bid to restore its capabilities that were degraded earlier in the war.
Iran says US to blame for any escalation caused by Israel
An Iranian official warned Monday that the United States is “responsible for the consequences of any escalation” in the Middle East caused by Israel.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei made the comment in a briefing with journalists on Monday in Tehran.
“No one believes that the Israeli regime would take any action without coordination with the United States,” Baghaei said. “The United States bears responsibility for the Israeli regime’s aggression, and it will also be responsible for the consequences of any escalation in tensions.”
Israel’s rescue services says third wave of attacks caused no injuries so far
Israel’s rescue services said there were not any known injuries from the latest round of missiles from Iran.
Rescue services are searching a number of sites for possible fragments from interceptions.
Israel warns people to take shelter
The call came as the military warned a third barrage of missiles was incoming from Iran.
JUST IN: Israel warns a third barrage of missiles is incoming from Iran
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim missile attack on Israel
The Iran-backed rebels also said that Israel-affiliated vessels would again be a target in the Red Sea.
The statement from Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree was broadcast on the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel.
It’s another new escalation as the nominal ceasefire in the Iran war is being challenged by crossfire between Israel and Iran.
JUST IN: Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim missile attack on Israel, say Israel-affiliated vessels now a target again in Red Sea
Iran claims attacks, says their missiles targeted two military bases in Israel
Iran has claimed the attacks, saying their missiles targeted two military bases in Israel.
The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard described the attack as being part of Operation Nasr, or “Victory.” The Guard said it launched the missile fire after Israel targeted radar sites in three areas of Iran, without elaborating.
Israeli military strikes petrochemical complex in southwestern Iran
The Israeli military says it struck a petrochemical complex in Mahshahr, in southwestern Iran. It did not provide details of the attack
Earlier, Iran’s semiofficial Fars and Mehr news agencies said Israeli strikes hit a petrochemical factory in city of Mahshahr in Khuzestan province. It did not elaborate on the damage done.
Israel issues all clear after a second wave of Iranian missiles
Israel issued an all-clear after warning of a second wave of inbound missiles from Iran.
It was the second alert without any interceptions being heard in the country.
The Iranian fire comes after Israel launched strikes on Iran early Monday in the most-serious crossfire since an April 8 ceasefire was reached in the Iran war.
Israeli military warns second round of Iranian missiles inbound
Israel’s military warned the public Monday that a second wave of Iranian missiles was targeting the country.
It urged the public to seek shelter.
The Iranian fire comes after Israel launched strikes on Iran early Monday in the most-serious crossfire since an April 8 ceasefire was reached in the Iran war.
JUST IN: Israel says a second wave of Iranian missiles inbound
Sirens sound near Israel’s main nuclear research site
Israel said it detected a barrage of missiles from Iran toward central and southern Israel on Monday morning. Loud explosions were heard over central Israel, and missiles also headed for southern Israel, near the city of Dimona and Arad.
The remote desert city of Dimona houses Israel’s main nuclear research center, which opened in 1958. Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weaponsthough its leaders neither confirm nor deny this.
Iran targeted Dimona and Arad during the last round of conflict, injuring more than two dozen people.
JUST IN: Explosions could be heard in central Israel as Israeli air defenses sought to intercept the incoming Iranian fire
JUST IN: Israel says Iran launches missiles targeting it
Israel cancels school as conflict escalates
People take shelter as air raid sirens warning of incoming Iranian missiles in Ramat Gan, Israel, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
People take shelter as air raid sirens warning of incoming Iranian missiles in Ramat Gan, Israel, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Israel’s military updated its guidelines for civilians on Sunday evening, limiting large gatherings and canceling school across the country.
It is the first time school has been canceled across Israel since the earlier round of fighting with Iran in April, though schools in Israel’s northern border had been closed for much longer due to the threat of Hezbollah fire.
Israel’s rescue services said there were no reports of casualties or impacts from Yemen missile launch
Israel says missile launched from Yemen
Israel said Monday that it detected a missile launched from Yemen targeting the country. Sirens sounded across Israel after the Yemen missile fire warning.
Yemen is home to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The Houthis have fired missiles at Israel during the Israel-Hamas war and later, but haven’t been fully involved in the Iran war.
Saudi Arabia sounds missile alerts
Saudi Arabia sounded missile alert sirens Monday morning in an area home to an air base that hosts U.S. forces. Saudi state media reported the alert around its Al Kharj governorate, home to Prince Sultan Air Base.
It did not elaborate. The alert came after Israel launched strikes targeting Iran.
President Donald Trump was “thunderously booed” Monday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City when he was shown on the Jumbotron ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finalsaccording to the White House press pool report.
The stadium’s reaction comes after some New York Knicks fans warned he would not receive a warm welcome during the home game matchup against the San Antonio Spurs — despite New York City being the president’s hometown.
The White House press pool report described the boos as “loud and long” and noted the reaction “quickly changed to cheers when the camera quickly panned to [Knicks guard] Jalen Brunson on the court.”
Trump was “standing with his hand over his heart” during the National Anthem as he was met with boos, the pool report said, adding that he was standing between his granddaughter Kai Trump and Knicks owner James Dolan, who “seemed to be smirking at the boos.”
The president’s posse included several administration officials, also watching in the suite, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
At least one Trump official made a courtside appearance with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seated next to rappers Fat Joe and famed producer DJ Khaled.
The Knicks came into Monday night’s game leading the series 2-0, and fans are hoping for a sweep. That is, defeating the Spurs in four consecutive games without a single loss. The team is on the precipice of earning its first championship since 1973, but Trump’s attendance has sparked outcry from many fans.
Trump, who was invited to attend by Dolan, is the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game. Security at the arena has been enhanced in response, and fans attending the game have been encouraged to arrive at least two hours before tipoff to allow extra time for TSA-style screening.
To many fans’ disappointment, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the watch party typically held outside MSG during games has been canceled due to Trump’s visit after the mayor, the U.S. Secret Service and the NYPD determined that it would hinder the heightened security measures required for Trump.
Mamdani announced Monday that Bryant Park will serve as a free alternative Knicks watch party location.
The president’s attendance comes against the backdrop of high-stakes elections and international conflict, including the war with Iranwhich has entered its 15th week, marking just over 100 days since the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack against the country on Feb. 28. His visit also comes weeks after he declined to attend the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., citing “a thing called Iran and other things.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
ByRichard L. Hasen
During normal times, the president of the United States would not routinely claim, without evidence, an epidemic of “voter fraud.” But Donald Trump is on another tirade about supposed fraud — this time in California’s primary elections. If there’s any good news, though, the publicity and pushback against his claims will inoculate the public against similar unsupported charges in November’s midterms, if control of Congress depends upon late-arriving results in the Golden State.
Let’s begin with some obvious points. California’s vote-counting process is notoriously slow. Millions of the state’s voters choose to vote by mail, and election officials’ efforts to confirm that voters have followed all the rules take some time. The state has unusually lenient rules for both the receipt of mail-in ballots (timely postmarked ballots may be counted if election officials receive them within seven days of the election) and for curing defective ballots (such as mail ballots on which a voter forgets to add their signature). Despite the popularity of mail-in ballots, the state has not prioritized saving state resources over a quicker vote count.
Further, it is rather routine that California results show Republican and more conservative candidates doing well in initial tallies, only for Democrats and liberal candidates to appear to “gain” as more ballots are tallied. Voters who have lived in the same place longer, own a home, are white and are wealthier are all more likely to receive and send back their ballots early — and they are also more likely to vote Republican.
President Trump has incessantly fueled beliefs on the right that voter fraud is prevalent in Democratic states.
Think about election tallying this way. You have to be away from your television during the Super Bowl and so you record the game. When you watch it the next day — having avoided hearing the result in between — the game is already over. The winner was the same before you watched and after. It is the same with California’s election ballots: All the ballots were cast by Election Day, the election is over, and we just must wait to learn the final results.
The issue of late-voting Democrats was especially pronounced in last week’s elections. In the Los Angeles mayoral race, polls show many voters undecided between unpopular incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, reality TV star Spencer Pratt (running to her right) and Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman (running to Bass’ left). Bass made it to the runoff, and the first vote totals showed Pratt in second. But late Monday, with 93% of the ballots counted the Associated Press projected that Raman will join Bass in this fall’s general election.
In the state’s gubernatorial primary, the initial results placed Republican Steve Hilton in first, ahead of Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer. As more ballots were processed, Becerra moved into first late Friday. Hilton is still likely to finish in the top two and advance to the general election, but Steyer has not yet been ruled out given the number of outstanding ballots.
This “blue shift” would not be a problem if we lived in normal times. If we have to wait a week or two to find out which candidates will face Bass and Becerra, that’s plenty of time to prepare for November. Unfortunately, President Trump has incessantly fueled beliefs on the right that voter fraud is prevalent in Democratic states, and in particular that California’s slow vote count shows that the system is “crooked.” He did it again last week. It undermines voters’ confidence in our elections’ integrity for no good reason.
And he’s not alone. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told reporters the “efforts are so diabolical and so far upstream it’s impossible to prove. But I think everybody knows instinctively that something is wrong here.” Yes, the alleged voter fraud claimed by Trump and his allies is always the perfect crime: happening on a massive scale yet impossible to detect. It’s quite convenient to have a theory that is completely unfalsifiable.
Some supporters of Pratt have made similar charges without evidence or simply “asked questions” about potential fraud. They only embarrass themselves by showing that either they don’t understand how California’s process works or they are cynical enough to think the public will accept false claims.
Even now, there is much to worry about regarding November’s elections.
If the race for control of the House of Representatives is close in November, the balance of power could well come down to races in California. Media reports on early returns will show Republican candidates “in the lead” but Democrats “gaining” as more votes are counted. Should that come to pass, I fully expect that Trump and his supporters will again cry fraud and try to delegitimize any Democratic victories and the integrity of the election process.
Even now, there is much to worry about regarding November’s elections. Trump’s U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, Bill Essayli, said he is investigating potential fraud in California’s primaries based upon no evidence. This follows the administration’s ongoing probes related to the 2020 election — efforts that could be a test run for the midterms.
The administration is trying to assemble a national citizen database and attempting to forbid the the U.S. Postal Service from returning mailed ballots from voters who are not on approved lists, a matter now being litigated in courts. Both federal law enforcement and cybersecurity officials have reportedly canceled efforts to help state and local election officials secure the 2026 elections.
But Trump has shown his hand and he’s come up short. It is hard to overstate the importance of the exchange on Sunday between Trump and NBC News’ “Meet the Press” anchor Kristen Welker. Speaking about California’s elections, Trump said“They’re crooked just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked.” As Welker pushed him repeatedly for evidence, Trump could only repeat his entirely unsupported charges: “There’s tremendous evidence. There’s nothing but evidence.” In the end, he stormed out.
In the long term, California should still do what it can to speed up the vote count; that would help maintain confidence in elections. With enough resources thrown at the problem and commands from the Legislature, election officials can improve their ballot processing time. But serious progress is unlikely before November.
For this year, election officials, the media and even the public all play roles in assuring voters about the fairness and integrity of the process. California election officials have been quite transparent about their processes all along the way, and that should continue. Media outlets should stop reporting which candidate is “in the lead.” This is not an ongoing election; the election is over, and the results are simply “too early to call.”
In response to charges of “voter fraud,” ordinary people can share media, such as the two-minute exchange between Trump and Welkerwhich show the emptiness of the president’s claims.
Rumormongering about California was always likely to be central to the president’s attempts to weaken faith in this year’s elections. But thanks to Trump himself, anyone paying any attention knows that California’s vote count is notoriously slow, that the “blue shift” favoring Democrats routinely happens and that Trump has produced no evidence to support his claims. The boy has cried wolf too many times, and if he tries this again in November, the appropriate response should be repudiation, not panic.
Richard L. Hasen
Richard L. Hasen is professor at UCLA School of Law, where he directs its Safeguarding Democracy Project.
- Trump-backed Marty O’Donnell wins primary for battleground Nevada House seat
- Sen. Lindsey Graham wins primary over ‘America First’ challenger
- US to reach $41T debt ceiling as soon as late winter, forecasters predict
- The Democratic establishment begrudgingly moves to embrace Graham Platner
- Teresa Benitez-Thompson wins crowded Dem primary for Nevada House seat
- IRAN FIRES MISSILES AT ISRAEL
- Trump-backed Marty O’Donnell wins primary for battleground Nevada House seat
- US to reach $41T debt ceiling as soon as late winter, forecasters predict
- US to reach $41T debt ceiling as soon as late winter, forecasters predict
- US to reach $41T debt ceiling as soon as late winter, forecasters predict
-
Politics1 year agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
Politics1 year agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
Uncategorized2 years ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
The Josh Fourrier Show2 years agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?
-
Politics1 year agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit
-
The Dictatorship9 months agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words