Following Trump's speech, Homeland Security Secretary Mullin threatens prosecution for illegal voting in midterms

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned Friday that if anyone votes illegally in the upcoming midterm elections, "We will hunt you down, we will find you, and we will prosecute you." In a White House briefing doubling down on President Donald Trump's primetime election claims from Thursday, Mullin also threatened fines, penalties or prison time for state election officials who refuse to hand over sensitive voter data to DHS. He said states that don't opt to use DHS's recently updated tool for identifying noncitizen voters will become "a priority" for investigations. The comments come as a federal judge has blocked the use of DHS's updated system, citing voter privacy and the fact that it can result in the wrongful purging of eligible voters. Trump used his primetime address to the nation Thursday to elevate his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of U.S. elections and dispute his 2020 loss in an appeal for more restrictive voting laws ahead of the midterms. The twice-elected president complained about his 2020 defeat, alleged a cover-up by officials in his own first administration and surfaced claims about countries attempting to harm his own prospects while staying silent on steps taken by other nations to boost him. Trump used the remarks to justify his push to pass a strict voter ID bill, known as the SAVE America Act, in Congress that has not advanced because it lacks enough support from his fellow Republicans. No credible intelligence has emerged showing that the vote count in 2020 was manipulated by foreign actors. Repeated audits and reviews — many run by Republicans, including Trump's own then-attorney general — have found no significant fraud occurred in 2020. Democrats in Congress accused Trump of using false claims to undermine confidence in November's midterms and to set the stage for federal intervention. "He knows he's a failed president," Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., said in a video posted on social media. "He knows that his popularity is faltering. He knows that he is on course to lose in 2026. And instead of doing something for the people, he's trying to interfere in our elections." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on X in response to Mullin's remarks Friday: "They are losing, and they know it." "Election officials will not be intimidated," Schumer added. Added Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.: "The Trump administration's own review of the 2020 election determined it was safe — a finding reaffirmed by countless audits and court cases. The only person refusing to accept reality is Donald Trump." Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers backed Trump by calling for the SAVE America Act to be passed and attacking China. "We must never back down to the Chinese Communist Party," Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote on X. "Especially when it comes to U.S. elections." Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said Trump's speech demonstrated "the Senate must immediately pass the SAVE America Act, and we must hold all foreign adversaries and their conspirators accountable for trying to meddle in America's elections and undermine our democracy."