Former President Donald Trump has been making Speaker of the House Mike Johnson‘s job difficult, recently undermining a number of Johnson’s priorities including getting FISA reauthorized and putting more Ukraine aid to a vote. Trump is against both measures and MAGA loyalists in Congress follow his lead, giving Johnson headaches.
The Speaker plans to travel to Mar-a-Lago on Friday to meet with the former President, whose famously transactional style likely means that Johnson will have to give something to get something.
(One thing Johnson surely has interest in? Trump can probably call off the attacks of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who has been riding Johnson’s tail with a motion to vacate.)
🚨 #BREAKINGNEWS Speaker Mike Johnson will travel to Mar-a-Lago to hold a pres conference with Donald Trump regarding election integrity.
— Ford News (@FordJohnathan5) April 11, 2024
That's like George Santos holding a press conference on how to combat fraud. 🚨
USA Today is out with a scoop that the Trump/Johnson meeting will include the promotion of a bill aimed at preventing non-citizens from voting in American elections, a performative show of legislative redundancy meant to show that the GOP will be tough on the border and on migrants and vigilant on the much-discussed “election integrity” issue.
[NOTE: The Trump-controlled RNC has been using “election integrity” as a fundraising trigger, with robocalls asking for donations of $35 and $50 to prevent more of the “massive fraud” that they continue, without evidence, to allege occurred in 2020.]
The anticipated Trump/Johnson measure isn’t necessary — it’s a rhetoric play flashing GOP campaign priorities. If Democrats don’t take it seriously, which they may not, Trump can accuse them of not taking “election security” seriously.
But Congress already prohibits non-U.S. citizens from voting in federal elections — with penalties including deportation and prison time for those who try it.
“All non-U.S. citizens, including unauthorized immigrants, are ineligible to vote in federal elections. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996… introduced criminal penalties for noncitizens who vote in federal elections.”
"All non-U.S. citizens, including unauthorized immigrants, are ineligible to vote in federal elections.The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996… introduced criminal penalties for noncitizens who vote in federal elections."https://t.co/ZhFgLFlHfF https://t.co/VDeELTrqUl
— Jennifer Shutt (@JenniferShutt) April 11, 2024
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