US President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of California’s election system, describing the state’s elections as “extremely corrupt” after a federal judge rejected his administration’s attempt to prevent the counting of approximately 20,000 disputed ballots.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump criticised the court ruling and vowed that his administration would appeal the decision, further escalating tensions between the federal government and California election authorities ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The dispute centres on the Justice Department’s allegations that approximately 20,000 people registered to vote in California may be non-US citizens. The administration wants election officials to separate ballots associated with those individuals until their citizenship can be verified.
However, US District Judge David O. Carter rejected the request, warning that the proposed intervention could disrupt the electoral process, disenfranchise eligible voters and violate constitutional protections governing state elections. The judge also questioned the reliability of the federal government’s data used to identify the suspected voters.
The Justice Department has since appealed the ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that urgent intervention is necessary while ballots continue to be processed.
Trump also broadened his criticism of election administration, raising concerns about other electoral disputes, including the Alaska Senate race involving Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. His administration has separately challenged Alaska’s election procedures, seeking to prevent certification of the Senate results if Sullivan loses.
The developments form part of a wider confrontation between the Trump administration and Democratic-led states over federal authority, voter eligibility and election oversight.
California officials have strongly opposed the federal intervention, arguing that the administration’s allegations are based on unreliable information and threaten the voting rights of eligible citizens.
With the midterm elections approaching, the legal battles are intensifying scrutiny of America’s electoral system and raising fresh concerns about political interference, voter confidence and the constitutional division of election responsibilities.
The dispute also comes amid Trump’s broader criticism of election processes internationally, including questions he has raised about Brazil’s electoral system.
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