‘Anything necessary’: Trump won’t rule out sending troops to polls

President Donald Trump won’t rule out deploying troops or federal agents to the polls during the upcoming midterm elections, he said in comments to journalists Tuesday.

“I’d do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections,” Trump said. “We have to have honest elections.”

His comments came in response to PBS Newshour correspondent Liz Landers, who asked whether the president would send the National Guard or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to voting locations this November.

Trump made the remarks the same day that the Republican National Committee announced it would spend millions of dollars on an “election integrity” push in 17 states ahead of the midterms. 

Trump has previously said he would like the federal government to “take over” the midterm elections. His outside advisors have at times suggested he should send immigration agents to the polls. 

Members of his administration have also been coy about the idea of deploying troops or federal agents to voting sites, refusing to guarantee ICE would not be at the polls.  

In March, Todd Blanche, now acting attorney general, defended the idea from the stage during a conservative political conference.

“Why is there objection to sending ICE officers to polling places?” he asked. “Illegals can’t vote. It doesn’t make any sense.”