Trump launches criminal investigation into claims of illegal voting in California as president tries to stop 'rigged' Democrat midterms wave

As of October 29, 2026, U.S. District Judge David Carter denied the Trump administration's request to invalidate over 20,000 ballots in California, which it alleged were cast by noncitizens. The Justice Department had sued California on October 15 after sending a list of suspected noncitizens to Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan earlier that week, demanding they confirm the citizenship status of those individuals.

The lawsuit was part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to challenge voting practices ahead of midterm elections. Despite these attempts, courts have twice rejected federal bids to block ballot counting. The Justice Department has appealed this decision. Additionally, local election officials in California received subpoenas from the administration as it launched a criminal investigation into alleged voter fraud.

Judge Carter's ruling characterized the Justice Department’s actions as an attempt at "election interference," stating that using unsubstantiated data to disenfranchise eligible voters undermines American democracy.