Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for former President Donald Trump, announced on Kimberly Guilfoyle‘s podcast on Monday that “we’re also investing a lot of money into voter integrity efforts to ensure that every American knows that their ballot will be cast and counted.” Leavitt herself has been on the ballot, running unsuccessfully in 2022 for a New Hampshire congressional seat that would have made her — then just 25 — the youngest member of Congress.
[Note: Podcast host Guilfoyle is engaged to Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump, Jr.]
Leavitt added: “We’re gonna play offense this time around. We’re not going to play defense like we unfortunately did in 2020. We’re gonna have soldiers, poll watchers on the ground who are making sure that there are no irregularities and fraud like we saw in the last election cycle.” (NOTE: More than 60 lawsuits were filed by Trump and/or his allies alleging fraud in the 2020 election and none produced a finding of significant fraud or irregularities.)
The Biden-Harris HQ account on X replied to Leavitt’s claim: “Trump press secretary, continuing Trump’s violent rhetoric, says they will deploy ‘soldiers’ to intimidate voters at the polls.”
Trump press secretary, continuing Trump’s violent rhetoric, says they will deploy “soldiers” to intimidate voters at the polls pic.twitter.com/hBhBkYU8KT
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) March 25, 2024
“Poll watchers, sometimes referred to as ‘election observers,’ are individuals who may observe steps in the election process. Each state has its own laws and procedures on when and where observers can be present, as well as who can observe the election,” according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
The Commission further states that “the role of a poll watcher is to observe and monitor the election, without violating voter privacy or disrupting the election. Poll watchers are different from challengers, though in some jurisdictions, poll watchers may challenge the eligibility of voters or the validity of ballots.”
Leavitt’s call for “soldiers” is figurative, as her campaign organization does not control any military personnel. Notably, pro-Trump governors supportive of Leavitt’s position do control National Guard troops in their states, but 18 U.S. Code § 592 (Troops at polls) prohibits soldiers from deployment “at any place where a general or special election is held” except under circumstances necessary to “repel armed enemies of the United States.”
“Whoever, being an officer of the Army or Navy, or other person in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States, orders, brings, keeps, or has under his authority or control any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held, unless such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both; and be disqualified from holding any office of honor, profit, or trust under the United States.
18 U.S. Code § 592