Alex Padilla: “I can assure you, Mr. Secretary, the devastation is real.”

We will fight this illegal overreach every step of the way.

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.

The truth is simple: our elections are safe and secure; the widespread voter fraud that Trump has claimed for 10 years does not exist.

I know how California elections work very, very well. They’re safe, they’re secure. They’re fair, they’re free, and they’re going to stay that way.