Alex Padilla: “I introduced a bill to that effect that was included in Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.”

This incident is a stark reminder of the very real danger facing those who serve the public and who help administer our elections in the face of increasingly hostile political rhetoric.

Their only hope for trying to maintain any sense of power is to interfere. It’s to change the rules. It’s to rig the elections.

The 2026 midterm elections have begun. We urge you to immediately reaffirm that the Department will forgo any actions that would interfere with the lawful administration of the 2026 elections.

Still, this incident is a stark reminder of the very real dangers facing those who serve the public and who help administer our elections in the face of increasingly hostile political rhetoric — especially from Donald Trump.