Trump returns to ‘rampant’ voter fraud theme following Texas investigation

President Trump early Sunday pushed questionable claims about Texas officials reviewing voter rolls to warn of “rampant” voter fraud and advocate for “Strong voter ID.”

The president alleged that 58,000 noncitizens voted in Texas, and that 95,000 noncitizens registered to vote. His tweet was apparently spurred by a “Fox & Friends” segment on the figures at about 8 a.m.

58,000 non-citizens voted in Texas, with 95,000 non-citizens registered to vote. These numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. All over the country, especially in California, voter fraud is rampant. Must be stopped. Strong voter ID! @foxandfriends

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 27, 2019

{mosads}In fact, The Texas Tribune reported that the Texas secretary of state’s office announced Friday it had flagged 95,000 registered voters who it said should be reviewed to determine whether they are U.S. citizens.

Of that group, 58,000 cast a ballot in at least one election from 1996 to 2018, The Texas Tribune reported.

The identified individuals provided some form of documentation when obtaining an identification card that showed they were not citizens, the news outlet reported. However, it’s unclear how many are still not U.S. citizens, as some may have been naturalized.

Counties in Texas have the option to investigate the status of those who were identified by the secretary of state, The Texas Tribune reported. The counties could also choose to take no action, making it unclear whether the specific number of noncitizens who voted will be made public.

1/ You might be seeing headlines or tweets tonight that claim Texas says 58,000 non-citizens have voted in Texas.

That is not true.

That is not what the state has said.

Here is what we know. #txlege https://t.co/wyvcrEDkmD

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 25, 2019

The president on Saturday and Sunday sent a number of tweets pressing for stricter immigration laws and warning that the country was in some ways been overwhelmed by immigrants as he pushes for funding for a wall along the southern border.

Trump has frequently spread misleading or inaccurate claims of widespread voter fraud to push for stricter voter ID laws and increased border security, as well as to explain why he lost the popular vote in the 2016 election.

Trump in 2017 formed the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity to investigate his unfounded allegations of voter fraud in the prior year’s election. The president dissolved the group a short time later as states refused to cooperate or filed lawsuits against the effort.