Representative Julie Johnson (D-TX) is continuing to call out President Donald Trump’s administration for what she and other Democrats have argued is discrediting democracy and the election process in the eyes of voters.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing this week, Rep. Johnson, who has been consistently outspoken against Republican-led efforts to redraw state maps, the Trump administration’s investigation into alleged fraud in the 2020 election, and other efforts she argues have eroded public trust in the electoral system.
“At the end of the day, public trust is paramount, and public trust right now is on the edge,” Rep. Johnson said. “It's the most fragile it has been in our electoral system in quite some time.”
Rep. Johnson criticized President Trump for recent efforts to undermine confidence in the election system, including his national address this week on alleged Chinese interference in the 2020 election. She said his investigations into the 2020 election is because he lost, not because of legitimate concerns about election security.
“People have to accept the truth,” Rep. Johnson said. “There are winners and losers in elections, and we should not be afraid to acknowledge that.”
Rep. Johnson also pointed to the Trump administration's removal of the three remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission last week, calling it a clear example of the president attempting to "manipulate independent agencies for political gain."
“Leaving the agency without sitting commissioners who oversee critical election administration that processes grants to state and local governments to enforce election monitoring and voter certifications,” she said.
As the midterm elections approach, Rep. Johnson said her constituents are growing increasingly anxious and less confident in the electoral system. She said the Congressional Election Observer Program, an initiative that allows members of Congress to observe federal elections, could help restore that trust, noting it has support from lawmakers on both ends of the aisle.
“One thing we agree on is that this program is good,” Rep. Johnson said. “It's effective, and it needs to be implemented without disruption and without barrier.”
Rep. Johnson said the key to leveraging this program to restore public trust in elections will be implementing it in a nonpartisan way.
“The very foundation of our democracy depends on Americans having the confidence that every lawful vote is counted, every eligible voter can cast a ballot, and that our election process is fair and impartial,” she said.
