Steve Bannon, a former White House adviser to President Donald Trump, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be present around polling locations during November’s midterm elections.
“You’re damn right we’re gonna have ICE surround the polls come November,” Bannon said on his War Room podcast on Tuesday.
“We’re not gonna sit here and allow you to steal the country again. And you can whine and cry and throw your toys out of the pram all you want, but we will never again allow an election to be stolen.”
Federal and state laws prohibit the government from deploying federal agents to any polling place, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Federal law also prohibits any activity that intimidates voters.
Bannon’s remarks came a day after Trump said in a podcast interview that Republicans should “take over” elections in as many as 15 states, while again baselessly claiming that widespread fraud cost him re-election in 2020. His comments arrive as Republicans in Congress push for stricter voting requirements nationwide.
Newsweek contacted the White House and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment by email outside of regular business hours.
Why It Matters
Trump has recently intensified efforts to undermine the outcome of the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. He has repeated disproven claims that ballots were altered or stolen and that illegal migrants were allowed to vote in some states he lost. Those claims come as the Trump administration turns more attention toward election policy ahead of the midterms in November, when control of Congress is at stake.
At the same time, ICE has faced heightened scrutiny following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—by immigration enforcement agents in separate incidents in Minneapolis last month. On Tuesday, Trump signed a government funding bill that funds DHS for only two weeks at the request of Democrats, who are demanding additional restrictions on immigration enforcement after the fatal shootings.
What To Know
On the War Room podcast, Bannon argued that Democrats rely on voter fraud to win elections, and claimed without evidence that illegal migrants are voting in large numbers in Minnesota and New York City.
Caroline Wren, a GOP fundraiser, echoed Bannon’s remarks, arguing that Democrats want to “defund ICE” so agents will not be near polling places.
Wren cited comments from Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who recently raised concerns about the possibility of Trump sending ICE agents to polling sites.
“They don’t want ICE funded because they don’t want ICE at the polling stations to stop illegals from voting,” she said.
Bannon described two proposals to tighten voting rules as straightforward.
“The ask here on the SAVE Act and Make Elections Great Again Act are pretty basic. A legitimate ID to show who you are to vote. It is to clean up the voter rolls,” he said.
What People Are Saying
Bannon said on the podcast: “Let’s put you on notice again. ICE is going to be around the polls in the 2026 midterm elections.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X on Monday: “The SAVE Act is nothing more than Jim Crow 2.0. It would disenfranchise millions of Americans. Every single Senate Democrat will vote against any bill that contains it.”
Democratic Senator Mark Warner told reporters on Tuesday: “The idea that the president might send some part of the federal government like ICE into patrol and suddenly people are saying, ‘well, we want to make sure that nobody undocumented shows up at any polling station.’ Again, pre-Minneapolis occupation, that didn’t ring as true as it potentially rings true right now”
What Happens Next
The midterm elections will take place on November 3.
