Rob Bonta says Dem AGs are 'ready to act within minutes' if Trump admin interferes in elections

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Saturday, June 13, that Democratic attorneys general across the country have developed contingency plans and conducted preparedness exercises to respond to a range of potential election-related scenarios ahead of future federal elections.

Bonta said state attorneys general are preparing for possible actions involving federal agencies, military deployments, election administration and mail-in voting systems.

He said the planning effort is aimed at ensuring election integrity and maintaining public confidence in the voting process.

Democratic AGs prepare for election disruption scenarios

Speaking about election security preparations, Bonta said Democratic attorneys general have spent months evaluating scenarios that could affect voting operations.

"The Democratic Attorneys General owe our constituents readiness and preparedness, and our constituents are telling us and screaming that their biggest concern right now is whether or not we will have election integrity free of interference from the Trump administration," Bonta said.

Democratic attorneys general are "preparing for all the possibilities, whether it be the deployment of ICE or the military or the National Guard at polling places, interference with the US Postal Service and the vote by mail ballots moving through it," he said.

Bonta added that participating attorneys general have conducted tabletop exercises designed to evaluate responses to different situations.

"We have a plan, and we are ready to act within minutes if any of those actions are taken by the Trump administration," Bonta said. "We've been table-topping and doing these exercises where we look at different scenarios of what can happen."

While declining to disclose specific details about the response plans, Bonta emphasized the importance of preparation. "Of course, we're hoping that they won't happen, but hope isn't a plan. We need a plan of action," he said.

Rob Bonta rejects Trump election fraud claims

Speaking to NPR on Tuesday, June 9, Bonta also criticized recent voter fraud allegations made by Trump regarding California elections, where vote counting continued after Election Day.

"Truly embarrassing, unhinged, wild-eyed, dangerous, reckless, desperate," Bonta said. "What's your evidence for the bold claim you've made? He has none."

The attorney general said state election officials continue to follow established procedures and argued that claims of widespread voter fraud have repeatedly been disproven through audits, recounts and court reviews.

"Every count, recount, hand count, audit and court case has demonstrated there is no widespread voter fraud," Bonta said.

However, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the president's election proposals reflect concerns shared by many Americans and cited support for measures including voter identification requirements, restrictions on mail-in voting and limits on ballot collection practices.

As preparations continue ahead of the midterm election cycle, Bonta said state officials remain focused on both election administration and responding to what he described as misinformation surrounding the voting process.

"The best counter to misinformation and disinformation is calling it out, confronting it, providing the facts that show that it's demonstrably false," Bonta said.