Guest post by Tim Meisburger

Assessing the Legitimacy of U.S. Elections

The vast majority of Americans, both Republican and Democrat, are in favor of commonsense electoral reforms, yet on the evening of July 16, the President gave a speech on challenges to election integrity in US elections, and ABC, NBC and CNN refused to carry it live. Politicians from both political parties, and their allies in the media and judiciary, are waging an all-out war against any reform aimed at increasing the transparency and credibility of elections. Plenty of Americans wonder why, and think (along with the President), “the only reason you wouldn’t do it (election reform) is because you want to cheat.”[1]

If elections are not free and fair, or are conducted in ways intentionally designed to prevent effective monitoring and verification, should candidates and voters who lose elections in November accept those loses as legitimate? To try to answer this question, we should compare our elections to the norms and standards international election observers use to assess elections overseas. Since I spent almost 30 years supporting, monitoring, and assessing foreign elections, beginning in 1992 as a U.N. District Electoral Supervisor in Cambodia’s transitional election, and ending in 2021 as Director of the Center for Democracy Rights and Governance in the first Trump Administration, I have relevant background to consider this issue.

Voter Registration

The foundation of fair elections are clean voter rolls, as they insure only eligible citizens can vote. Unqualified voters on voter rolls (people who are non-citizens, dead, moved, or never existed) enable many types of election fraud, as their names can be used to cast illegal ballots. Typical questions used to assess voter registration are:

• Are voter rolls accurate and complete, including qualified voters and excluding unqualified people.
• Are voter rolls public and auditable?

Assessment: Voter rolls are grossly inaccurate, and actually auditing voters rolls is often illegal, so U.S. voter rolls are ineffective at ensuring only qualified citizens can vote, and in preventing election fraud. Internationally, error rates in rolls, revealed by voter roll audits, are typically 3-6%. In the U.S., no one really knows our actual error rates, as Democrat (and some Republican) politicians and officials have fought in the courts and in the streets any attempts to conduct voter roll audits or to clean voter rolls, but we do know that some localities have more than twice the number people on their rolls as eligible citizens that live in the constituency (i.e. at least 100% error).

Voter ID

Voter ID is considered an essential element in election security, and the provision of photo or biometric voter ID is a major part of many U.S.-funded election assistance programs overseas. A question we might ask on this issue is:

• Can every qualified voter easily obtain voter ID, and are unqualified voters prevented from obtaining voter ID?

Assessment: The situation is mixed, with Republican-led states more likely to meet this security standard, and Democrat-led states less likely. Although more than 80% of Americans (both Republicans and Democrats) support voter ID, and despite the fact that voter ID and proof of citizenship is required in every other democracy in the world, Democrat leaders continue to strenuously object to the universal introduction of photo voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote.

Early Voting

Many states now have early and extended voting periods, creating election seasons rather than a single election day. Extensive experience in developing democracies indicates that any time there is a break between voting and counting the votes caused by moving ballots or storing them overnight, transparency is interrupted, and public and candidate confidence in the legitimacy of the outcome decreases. A question relevant for this issue might be:

• Is polling conducted so that it can be effectively monitored by non-partisan observers and pollwatchers?

Assessment: Due to a lack of transparency introduced by overnight and weekend breaks in the chain of observation, and a lack of resources required to deploy observers for extended periods, it is not possible for non-partisan observers or pollwatchers to effectively monitor and verify extended voting periods. Extended voting periods decrease transparency and facilitate fraud (or the suspicion of fraud), and undermine confidence in the legitimacy of election outcomes, which may decrease voter engagement and turnout. Extended voting enables corrupt administrators to determine likely results by counting Republican and Democrat voters, and because it is impossible to monitor effectively, allows the easy addition or subtraction of votes and manipulation of outcomes. Both politicians and voters support extended voting periods, not understanding how they facilitate fraud and ultimately undermine confidence in election outcomes.

Postal Voting

Originally limited largely to absentee voting for soldiers, by the late 90s and early 2000s postal voting was becoming increasingly popular for ordinary voting, even though the 2005 Bipartisan Commission on Election Reform (led by former President Carter) identified postal voting as the least secure election practice. Questions relevant for this issue include:

• Does the polling process effectively prevent vote buying or selling?
• Are ballots securely stored and monitored to prevent theft and ballot box stuffing?
• Can voters cast their ballot in secret, free from influence or intimidation by family, employers or other powerful people in the community?

Assessment: Widespread or universal postal voting undermines the security and secrecy of the vote because it does not occur in a controlled environment, enabling vote theft, ballot box stuffing, vote buying and voter intimidation.

Voting and Counting Machines

Voting and counting machines have become ubiquitous in American elections, with proponents arguing they are cheaper, faster, and more secure than traditional voting and counting processes, while opponents argue the opposite, that they are more expensive, slower, and less secure. Questions relevant to assessing this issue include:

• Can observers and pollwatchers effectively monitor and verify polling and counting processes?
• Do polling and counting processes used in the election enhance or detract from voter confidence in the integrity of the process and legitimacy of elected representatives?

Assessment: Dur to their lack of transparency, it is not possible to effectively monitor and verify machine-based voting and counting, and this drives public doubt in the legitimacy of election outcomes. According to assessments by the intelligence community and essentially all cyber-security experts, voting and counting machines are extremely vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation by foreign and domestic bad actors. Prominent Democrat and Republican leaders have publicly blamed election losses on hacking of machines for decades, and a large portion of the voting population believe results are routinely manipulated.

 Overall Assessment of U.S. Elections

Based on the identification of severe shortcomings in election procedures, our hypothetical international observation mission would find it impossible to verify and certify electoral outcomes as accurate expressions of the will of the people. In such cases, observers would deny the legitimacy of elected representatives, and urge the people to continue their struggle for free and fair elections and real democracy. The mission would also make a series of recommendations for reforms required to ensure transparent and credible elections, like those below.

An Agenda for Transparent and Credible Elections

A democracy depends on public confidence that the process is fair, and that its representatives and leaders in government were legitimately elected by a majority of voters. Currently, that confidence in the U.S. is at its lowest level ever, and experience overseas demonstrates that a loss of confidence in the legitimacy of government can lead to a loss of social cohesion, autocracy, revolution, and blood in the streets.

This slide into instability and conflict is preventable through election reforms that increase the transparency and public credibility of election processes. Even those who think there is nothing wrong with our elections should recognize that growing public doubt in current election practices will ultimately result in instability, and that replacing those processes with transparent and verifiable procedures will enhance public confidence in the legitimacy of government.

With that in mind, I would make the following recommendations, all of which align with international standards and norms for free and fair elections, and all of which could be implemented for federal elections before the midterms through legislation or a presidential declaration of a national security emergency. States would not have to follow these reforms for state or local elections, but would be encouraged to do so.

1. Allow and conduct voter list audits in every state (voter list audits are a standard tool used by both monitoring organizations and election administrations throughout the world to assess the accuracy of voter rolls). Decertify current election rolls for federal elections and conduct a new registration in every state, building off the Real ID process used for driver’s licenses to ensure voters are qualified. With proper organization, this re-registration could be conducted in as little as four weeks, making it possible to implement before the mid-term elections.

2. Limit postal voting for federal elections to actual need. Postal voting is inherently insecure, so the volume of postal voting is inversely proportional to confidence in the legitimacy of the process. Postal votes undermine the secrecy of the ballot, are easy to manipulate, and facilitate vote buying and voter intimidation (particularly affected are less powerful minorities and women). This reform could be part of a presidential order, and states could implement the policy by simply going back to their absentee ballot rules of several decades ago.

3. Limit voting in federal elections to one day. Voting seasons are impossible to monitor effectively, creating doubt in the legitimacy of election outcomes. This reform could be part of a presidential order, and could be accompanied by a decree making Election Day a national holiday.

4. Require voter ID and proof of citizenship to register and vote in federal elections, as is normal and expected in every other country in the world. This reform could be part of a presidential order.

5. Eliminate non-transparent and non-monitorable election processes. In practice, this means eliminating voting and counting machines, which are non-transparent and cannot be effectively monitored and verified, thus contributing to public doubt in the legitimacy of election outcomes. Manual voting and counting processes are simple by design, and can be developed and introduced within a few weeks by drawing on international best practices for free and fair elections.

6. Count the votes in public at the precinct and post the results for all to see. Moving ballots before counting, or counting in secret or in a non-verifiable way, creates doubt in the legitimacy of the election process.

Conclusion

All of these reforms are necessary to enhance public confidence in election outcomes and ensure we remain a government of the people. All are possible to implement before the November elections. Without significant reforms, the number of election deniers will continue to grow, leading ultimately, I fear, to tyranny or revolution.

[1] See President Trump’s speech on Election Integrity on July 16, 2026.

Tim Meisburger is an election process and integrity expert with more than 30 years’ experience in international democracy and elections assistance. During the first Trump Administration, he served as the Director of the Center for Democracy Rights and Governance (DRG) at USAID, and during the second Administration, he led the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and served as Head of Programs for the Agency during the dissolution of USAID and transfer of humanitarian assistance to the Department of State. Between administrations, he continued to advance the President’s America First agenda as a Visiting Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, and as a consultant for the America Project, where he developed and managed election integrity programs for the 2021 elections in Virginia, and the 2022 and 2024 national elections. He writes frequently on the election process and foreign assistance reform.

The post Should Americans Deny Elections This November? appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

New data cited by the White House revealed that fentanyl-related deaths have dropped over 20 percent in one year as the Trump administration continues cracking down on drug cartels and traffickers.

An exclusive report published Friday by Fox News said that fentanyl-linked deaths were down 22 percent. The White House said the dramatic turnaround is due to its strong border policies and aggressive enforcement tactics.

These figures were shared with Fox News Digital to honor “National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.”

“Synthetic opioid deaths, which include fentanyl, fell from 48,913 in 2024 to 38,084 in 2025, according to CDC figures cited by the White House — a decline of more than 10,000 deaths,” the article read. “Total drug overdose deaths fell 14 percent during the same period, from 81,313 to 69,973.”

In addition, the White House highlighted a 45 percent drop in nationwide fentanyl seizures in fiscal year 2025, compared to 2024.

FBI Director Kash Patel has recently been recognized for his comprehensive efforts as well, which included the targeting of fentanyl supply chains, specifically Chinese suppliers who provide chemical precursors.

Moreover, the White House reportedly shared information about 11 foreign nationals arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this year who had previously been convicted of fentanyl-related crimes.

President Donald Trump’s promise to dismantle drug cartels has been a pillar of his second term. On his first day back in office on Jan. 20, 2025, he designated major drug cartels like Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and Sinaloa as foreign terrorist organizations.

Later that year, in December 2025, he also signed an executive order designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.

“Illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” Trump declared. “Two milligrams, an almost undetectable trace amount equivalent to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, constitutes a lethal dose. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl overdoses.”

“The manufacture and distribution of fentanyl, primarily performed by organized criminal networks, threatens our national security and fuels lawlessness in our hemisphere and at our borders,” the order read.

“The production and sale of fentanyl by Foreign Terrorist Organizations and cartels fund these entities’ operations — which include assassinations, terrorist acts, and insurgencies around the world — and allow these entities to erode our domestic security and the well-being of our Nation.”

In July 2025, the commander in chief signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, “permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.”

He has also taken aggressive action against suspected drug boats by authorizing drone strikes against them in an effort to deter others from trafficking drugs into the United States, and he greenlit a daring raid to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January.

Maduro is now facing drug-related charges of narco-terrorism, with a trial set for 2027.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post New Data: Fentanyl Deaths Plummet in Wake of Trump Admin Crackdown appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was recently mocked on CNBC for fearmongering over the economy and getting tons of stuff wrong in general.

This is what Warren does now. It is what she has done every single day since the 2024 election. she complains and fearmongers about Trump and doesn’t even seem to care if what she is saying is even remotely true.

Now she is showing the world that she has no idea how the simple concept of supply and demand works.

Townhall reports:

Elizabeth Warren Proves Once Again That She Has No Idea How Basic Economics Works

It’s a fairly good rule of thumb that if Elizabeth Warren is against something, it’s probably a good thing that you should support. Or, at the very least, it reveals just how ignorant she is about how our supply-and-demand economy actually works.

She’s now waging a war against “dynamic pricing,” which she claims is how “giant companies … squeeze you even more.”

Yes, when people want more ice cream in the summer, the demand goes up while supply usually stays the same. So prices will go up. Same thing with tea bags in the winter.

Consumers often accept dynamic pricing. Airline tickets, for example, vary by price based on the day of the week and the season. Hotel room prices are subject to dynamic pricing, too.

See her tweet below:

We should all be worried about “dynamic pricing.”

That’s when companies change their prices in real time.

If it’s hot out, the cost of ice cream could go up.
If it’s cold, tea bags could go up.

It’s a way for giant companies to squeeze you even more.

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) August 16, 2026

People were quick to respond:

Why do you hate happy hour pic.twitter.com/DpHMKCR66l

— Sean Agnew (@seanagnew) August 17, 2026

Thank you. I want a Federal government that regulates the price of ice cream.

— Holden (@Holden114) August 16, 2026

Senior Senators can’t grasp basic economics.

This tracks.

— (@txsalth2o) August 17, 2026

Should hotels by the beach be forced to charge the same rates all year?

Should airline tickets cost the same whether you book them five months in advance or the day before?

Should happy hours be banned?

If you answered “no” to any of these, you support dynamic pricing. https://t.co/KgXW0QKSbP

— Dominic Pino (@DominicJPino) August 17, 2026

Elizabeth Warren is doing what all of the leftists in the Democrat Party do.

She is trying pretend that every company is trying to screw you and that only she and Democrats are here to protect you from their evil ways.

The post Elizabeth Warren Proves She Has No Idea How the Basic Concept of ‘Supply and Demand’ Works appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Vice President JD Vance visited the Ohio steel plant where his own grandfather worked this week and used part of the visit to outline the accomplishments of the Trump administration, especially with regards to immigration and jobs.

At one point, Vance retold the story of a child predator who Minnesota Governor Tim Walz tried to rescue from deportation by giving him a pardon. Vance said that the Trump administration deported the man anyway, eliciting applause from the audience.

That story is a good reminder of just how crazy Democrats have become.

Partial transcript via Nick Sortor:

JD Vance just TORCHED Tim Walz for pardoning a CONVICTED RAPlST from Laos in attempt to shield him from deportation

Unfortunately for Walz, his little plan didn’t work, and DHS forcibly sent the raplst back to Laos

“Walz asked the country what good it accomplished. ‘Did that make us any safer?’ That is a DIRECT QUOTE from the Democrat GOVERNOR of Minnesota.”

“To which I’d say, as the father of four young children: 10 year olds and everybody else can breathe a little bit easier in Minnesota.

Watch the clip:

JD Vance just TORCHED Tim Walz for pardoning a CONVICTED RAPlST from Laos in attempt to shield him from deportation

Unfortunately for Walz, his little plan didn’t work, and DHS forcibly sent the raplst back to Laos

“Walz asked the country what good it accomplished. ‘Did… pic.twitter.com/ktdEN2GVWm

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 21, 2026

In this clip, he talks about the fact that more jobs are now going to American citizens instead of foreigners in the US, a trend that was reversed by Trump:

Rust Belt star JD Vance is CRUSHING IT in Ohio right now:

“What I’m most proud of in the last 18 months: do you know that ALL net job growth over the past 18 months went to NATIVE BORN AMERICANS?

“Reversing a trend for four years where it all went to foreign people!”

… pic.twitter.com/azkqSQlvfd

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 21, 2026

During the same visit, Vance stopped at a local hangout and served beers and chili dogs to enthusiastic customers. Jesse Watters covered it on hios show tonight. Watch:

NEW: JD VANCE IN FULL CAMPAIGN MODE… SLINGING BEERS IN OHIO

IS A 2028 ANNOUNCEMENT COMING?

Meanwhile, NEWSOM just ADMITTED TRUMP WAS RIGHT… he’s PRAISING “TRUMP ACCOUNTS” pic.twitter.com/zhPHm9Q2E8

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) August 22, 2026

Like Trump, Vance understands retail politics. He also clearly loves people, which certainly helps.

The post JD Vance Tears Into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for Trying to Protect a Child Predator (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Coffee giant Starbucks is laying off hundreds of people at their headquarters in Seattle as they prepare to ship many more jobs to Nashville, Tennessee.

This is bad news for people in Seattle, but they should have thought of this before electing their new socialist mayor, Katie Wilson. From day one, she has seemed to be intent on killing the golden goose that is Starbucks.

Companies that are demonized by their city tend to move to places where they will be appreciated and encouraged to be successful.

FOX 13 in Seattle reports:

Starbucks announces details on layoffs of 200-plus Seattle headquarters employees

Joseph Phillips, Professor of Economics at Seattle University, says the first group includes around 120 information technology workers who chose not to relocate to Starbucks’ new corporate office in Nashville.

He says the second group is made up of employees who worked on Starbucks’ store design.

While Starbucks had previously announced broader plans for corporate layoffs earlier this year, details regarding the timing and specific roles affected are now being announced.

“We knew that Starbucks was going to move their IT to Nashville and those employees would be offered the opportunity to go… so we are finding out that 120 employees don’t want to go to Nashville,” said Joseph Phillips, a professor of economics at Seattle University.

The corporate cuts come amid a broader wave of tech job losses nationwide, which have hit tech-centric hubs like Seattle especially hard.

“We’ve seen quite a few Starbucks jobs leaving Seattle and these are typically high-paying, high-quality jobs,” said Nick Huntington-Klein, Associate Professor of Economics at Seattle University.

Here’s a video of Mayor Katie Wilson shortly after taking office, bashing Starbucks in public. Who can blame them for leaving?

A reminder one of first things @MayorofSeattle did after taking office.

Today another 200+ jobs are leaving.

“I’m proud to say loud and clear that I am not buying Starbucks and you should not either!”@Starbucks: Bye! pic.twitter.com/jh54kBljoj

— PNW Conservative (@PNWConservative) August 20, 2026

Starbucks will not be the last company to leave Seattle for greener pastures. This is probably just the beginning.

It’s the same thing that has been happening to California with various companies.

These leftist leaders don’t understand that they are supposed to attract businesses and new jobs, not repel them.

The post Starbucks Headquarters in Seattle Lays Off Hundreds as They Prepare to Send Jobs to Nashville appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Democrats keep trying to sell a message that they’re united right now. DNC Chairman Ken Martin went on CNN last night, trying to push this message. Remember, they’re a BIG TENT party, right?

Rep. Brandon Gill went on the Hannity show last night and picked out the only two things that Democrats are really united on right now and neither of them are good for the country.

He suggested that they are all on the same page for hating the country that they want to represent and their pathological hatred of Trump. Sounds about right.

Via Breitbart News:

“Congressman, love your take on this. I mean, this is the thing — you would think Donald Trump does nothing good ever if you ever watch any other network, read The New York Times or Washington Post or any major newspaper,” host Sean Hannity said. “They never, ever give him any credit for anything.

They kept their eyes closed with Biden’s cognitive decline and they went along with the lie that the border is closed and the border secure. So, you know, one thing that Republicans always have to deal with is an abusively corrupt and biased media.”

Gill replied, “That’s exactly right. There are two things that unify the Democratic Party right now. The first thing I think is a deep loathing for America, for its founding principles, for its culture, its history, and especially its people. And secondly, I think is a deep, visceral, blood-curdling hatred for Donald Trump.

You can’t turn on MSNBC or CNN for more than five seconds before you hear some deranged left-wing lunatic screaming Donald Trump’s name, blaming him for everything wrong under the sun, never giving him credit for a single thing that he’s accomplished already in just less than two years of this administration.”

See the video below:

Hatred for President Trump unites the Democrats, Rep Brandon Gill says pic.twitter.com/qspAYbbjUx

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) August 21, 2026

Gill is right, but think about the big picture here.

Since the 2024 election, Democrats have offered two things to the America people. Hatred of Trump and socialism. That’s it.

They have learned absolutely nothing.

The post Rep. Brandon Gill Identifies the Only Two Things That Are Uniting Democrats Right Now and Neither of Them Are Good (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.