President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has informed Michigan officials that it plans to send election monitors to Detroit, Lansing, and East Lansing in the upcoming primary elections.
In a letter obtained by Detroit News, Timothy Mellett, deputy chief of the DOJ’s Voting Section, informed Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope of their plans.
“As part of our assessment of your administration of the federal primary election, we plan to have election monitors at your 2026 primary election,” he wrote.
“We will contact you a week prior to election monitoring to discuss the particulars of the monitoring effort.”
Election monitors observe polling places and other aspects of the voting process to assess compliance with federal voting laws.
🚨 JUST IN: The DOJ Civil Rights Division is surging ELECTION MONITORS to polling locations in DETROIT, MICHIGAN for the upcoming 2026 elections
GREAT! Secure elections are essential!
Lansing and East Lansing will also see election monitors for the coming primary, per Detroit… pic.twitter.com/WHjDIAiUhb
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 7, 2026
While they do not administer elections or handle ballots, they monitor election procedures, document potential irregularities, and report their findings to the Department of Justice.
The three cities are Democratic strongholds and have a long history of electoral fraud. The Gateway Pundit has reported extensively on this issue.
The move marks the latest step in the Trump administration’s scrutiny of election administration in Michigan after the DOJ also sought copies of the state’s voter registration list and voting records from Wayne County.
A Justice Department spokeswoman confirmed the monitoring plans, noting that Civil Rights Division election monitors have also been deployed in the cities during previous elections.
Michigan’s Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel responded by saying her office would push back against the observers.
“We encourage everyone to participate and see for themselves how secure and fair our elections are — but make no mistake, my office stands ready to hold accountable those who attempt to unlawfully interfere with or intimidate Michigan election workers,” Nessel said.
“We encourage everyone to participate and see for themselves how secure and fair our elections are – but, my office stands ready to hold accountable those who attempt to unlawfully interfere with or intimidate Michigan election workers.” –@dananessel.https://t.co/d1yvFNVnbH
— Michigan Democrats (@MichiganDems) July 7, 2026
Trump has repeatedly raised the alarm about election administration in Michigan, particularly in Detroit, and has called for increased federal oversight of elections following his return to office.
The letter to Lansing also cited concerns over the city’s use of the statewide voter registration list during the 2024 election and referenced reports of unacceptably long lines at some polling places.
Ben Kew is a writer and editor. Originally from the UK, he moved to the U.S. to cover Congress for Breitbart News and has since gone on to editorial roles at Human Events, Townhall Media, and Americano Media. He has also written for The Epoch Times, The Western Journal, and The Spectator.
You can email Ben Kew here, and read more of Ben Kew’s articles here.
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