Dan Tully Talks Elections

It will take those of us who knew the government before to rebuild it and to reshape it to work for the American people again.

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Dan Tully left the U.S. Department of Commerce in protest of the administration's destructive foreign policy approach. Dan's background as a Judge Advocate in the Army Reserve gave him experience advising on counter-Chinese influence efforts in the Indo-Pacific. While Dan was building an anti-corruption program for Ukraine's Ministry of Reconstruction, the administration abandoned critical partnerships, echoed Kremlin talking points, and berated Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House.

Dan is now running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Chicago, Illinois, where he hopes to implement his Trump Accountability Plan and restore the rule of law by wielding Congress's power of inherent contempt and puncturing sovereign immunity for federal agents acting outside the scope of the law.

Election Integrity & Separation of Powers

As we approach the midterm elections, the election conspiracies of 2020 and 2024 are making a comeback alongside threats of voter suppression and intimidation from the White House and MAGA-sphere. In this episode, we cut through the noise of election conspiracies. We discuss how same-day voter registration led to false claims of "more votes than voters" during the 2024 elections. We also explain how a voter fraud prevention tool led to false claims of one state having "more registered voters than voting-age population."

We round out our examination of election fraud conspiracies by explaining why the Election Truth Alliance's conspiracy theories masked as statistical analysis did not prove voter fraud in the 2024 presidential race. We discuss how misinterpreting academic research and ignoring important methodological distinctions to justify demands for hand counts doesn't begin to address the actual threats voters could face at the polls in 2026, such as the weaponization of federal law enforcement as recently seen in Fulton County, Georgia.

As the executive branch tramples constitutional boundaries in an effort to centralize power, we discuss the constitutional remedies available to Congress, the States, and the People, as well as legislative proposals that would further strengthen checks on executive power, including the Bivens Act, the Universal Constitutional Remedies Act, and inherent contempt.

Finally, we discuss historical precedents that allowed the States to regulate federal law enforcement activity within their borders. We highlight how first principles such as federalism and separation of powers create a system of governance designed to protect the rights of the people. We recently saw this system in action when the Supreme Court ruled on Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump in a 6-3 decision to reject the President's unilateral imposition of tariffs, which are reserved for the contemplative processes of the legislature.

Outlook

Looking towards the midterms, we're watching for indicators of the President's intent to weaponize the Insurrection Act to bypass judicial review and deploy armed agents to polling places and intimidate voters. This is particularly important as the only exception to 18 USC § 592's prohibition of 'armed men' at election sites is the necessity to repel armed enemies of the United States—a label the administration has been quick to apply to a broad spectrum of its political adversaries. We'll also be watching how the Executive and the Legislature respond to the Supreme Court's ruling on tariffs and the President's plan to ignore the Court.

Opportunities

As we navigate these times, there is a range of actions we can take in order to protect ourselves and our democracy, but they require active participation in the process.

  • Advocate for Accountability: Use tools like 5calls.org to contact your representatives and demand they pass the Bivens Act as a stipulation of funding for the Department of Homeland Security and support state-level efforts like the Universal Constitutional Remedies Act.
  • Defend Your Rights: Check your voter registration. If you're not registered to vote, famliarize yourself with the documentation requirements of the SAVE Act and ensure you're prepared to meet the requirements in the event Congress passes it into law before Election Day, November 3, 2026.
  • Vote Early: You can mitigate the risk of voter intimidation at the polls and potential delays with the Postal Service by voting early or voting by mail in advance of Election Day.

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Does President Trump have the authority to ‘nationalize’ voting? | Brookings
Brookings Senior Fellow William Galston analyzes the constitutional limits on presidential power over federal election rules and procedures.

Read the Brookings analysis of Trumps' threat to 'nationalize' elections.

Trump increases global tariffs to 15% after Supreme Court decision
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he was raising the global tariff he wants to impose to 15%, up from 10% he had announced a day earlier.

Read about Trump's response to the Supreme Court decision to strike down tariffs.

Steve Bannon: “You’re damn right we’re gonna have ICE surround the polls come November.”

Watch former Trump strategist Steve Bannon's unhinged claim about using ICE at the polls.

Research Guides: Federalist Papers: Primary Documents in American History: Federalist Nos. 21-30
The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pen name “Publius.” This guide compiles Library of Congress digital materials, external websites, and a print bibliography.

Read the Federalist No. 28 to learn how Hamilton intended for the people to to use state and federal governments as instruments of redress for invasion of rights.

Research Guides: Federalist Papers: Primary Documents in American History: Federalist Nos. 51-60
The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pen name “Publius.” This guide compiles Library of Congress digital materials, external websites, and a print bibliography.

Read the Federalist No. 51 to learn how Madison expected state and federal governments to provide the people a double security by checking each others' power.

The Insurrection Act, Explained
The vague and rarely used law gives the president broad power to deploy the military domestically — but it’s not a blank check.

Learn more about the Insurrection Act.

2026 Midterm Elections - Votebeat

Explore nonpartisan reporting on voter issues and elections.

New Report: How We Voted in 2024 | MIT Election Lab

Read about the 2024 election and voter beliefs.

No, these Wisconsin voter roll figures aren’t a sign of ‘fraud waiting to happen’
People on Wisconsin’s inactive list aren’t eligible to vote, but their records stay on file indefinitely — a practice that actually helps reduce the likelihood of fraud, election officials say.

Learn the truth about voter roles vs. population counts.

The truth about a misleading claim that one Milwaukee suburb had more votes than voters
An online table of Oak Creek results didn’t account for same-day registration.

Learn how same-day voter registration impacts turnout percentages.

The conspiracy theorists who claim Kamala Harris really won in 2024
Echoes of Trump’s 2020 delusions are reborn in blue.

Read about the Election Truth Alliance and false claims of 2024 voter fraud.

Conspiracy theories prove to be an enduring post-election tradition
The response to Trump’s victory shows us that American voters on both sides can be sore losers.

Learn about the danger of persistent conspiracy theories related to elections.

Slower USPS pickups and postmarks could delay voter registrations, mail ballot applications, and actual votes
‘It’s not a clarification of a rule. Instead, it’s more confusion.’

Read about potential voter impacts related to USPS changes.

5 Calls
Spend 5 minutes. Make 5 calls. Make your voice heard.

Check out the 5 Calls app, and learn how to make your voice heard in Congress.

Everything You Need to Vote - Vote.org
Register to vote. Check your registration status. Get your absentee ballot. Fast, free, easy, secure, nonpartisan.

Learn more about voting and find local resources to get educated.

18 U.S. Code § 597 - Expenditures to influence voting
US Code - Title 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 29 > § 597

Learn why it's illegal to pay people to vote.

18 U.S. Code § 592 - Troops at polls
US Code - Title 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 29 > § 592

Learn why it's illegal for armed federal officers to be at the polls.

A reminder about separation of powers.

@cnn

CNN's Dana Bash analyzes President Trump's call to Republicans to nationalize future elections.

♬ original sound - CNN

Watch the original No Kings protest video.

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