On Thursday, former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to draw attention to California’s voting process, highlighting the extended timeline for counting votes following the June 2 primary. California’s system involves mailing ballots to all registered voters, allowing them to be counted if they are postmarked by election day and received within seven days. The state then takes an additional 30 days from the end of this period to finalize the count.
Trump’s comments quickly sparked criticism from prominent California Democrats, including Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Alex Padilla, and Attorney General Rob Bonta. These officials, alongside gubernatorial candidate and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, have been key figures in shaping California’s voting regulations. Undeterred by the backlash, Trump reiterated his stance during the signing of an executive order, suggesting that his remarks are part of a broader message rather than mere offhand comments.
WATCH:
California Secretary of State Issues 14 ‘Emergency’ Regulations for Election, Weakening Security
In response to the unfolding dialogue, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli took to X on Friday to share his thoughts on the matter.
( TruthSocial: Jun 4 2026, 8:17 PM ET )
Of course, this produced condemnation from the usual suspects: Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), and CA Attorney General Rob Bonta (D). These three have been complicit, along with gubernatorial candidate and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, in creating the twisted web that is the California voting system. But Trump doubled down during an executive order signing, which, for those who get Trump, means he’s not just spouting off, but signaling something bigger.
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🚨 HOLY CRAP! Straight from the Oval Office, President Trump says Democrats are cheating in California and stealing the election
“I just don’t want cheating in our elections. And you see it happening in California. Those numbers are coming down rapidly!”
“They found a lot of… pic.twitter.com/wKbkxFyy8x
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 4, 2026
California Sec of State Issues 14 ‘Emergency’ Regulations for Election, Weakening Security
Cue the First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli, who posted this on X on Friday.
Protecting the integrity of California’s elections is a top priority for my office.
California’s election system has serious structural vulnerabilities. Universal vote-by-mail with no voter ID requirements creates conditions where fraud can go undetected and unpunished, eroding…
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) June 5, 2026
Protecting the integrity of California’s elections is a top priority for my office.
California’s election system has serious structural vulnerabilities. Universal vote-by-mail with no voter ID requirements creates conditions where fraud can go undetected and unpunished, eroding public confidence.
Without commenting on any specific investigation, my office has multiple election fraud investigations underway in coordination with @FBILosAngeles. We will follow the evidence wherever it leads and prosecute any violations of federal election law to the fullest extent.
My office is also working closely with @AAGDhillon to conduct a comprehensive audit of California’s voter rolls. The state has stonewalled every effort to verify that only eligible U.S. citizens are registered to vote. This case is now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.
My office will not look the other way. We will investigate and prosecute. Every legal vote deserves to be counted. Every illegal vote cancels one out.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced on Friday that his office has opened multiple election fraud investigations in coordination with the FBI.Â
The announcement comes immediately after President Donald Trump alleged, without providing evidence, that Democrats are attempting to steal California primary races due to slow ballot counting.
[…]
While declining to provide specific details on the active probes, Essayli pointed to a case from last month when a Marina del Rey woman was charged with allegedly paying people, including unhoused individuals on Skid Row, to register to vote.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Assistant United States Attorney Robert Renner chose to pay a visit on Friday to the Los Angeles County vote processing center. A staffer to AG Rob Bonta did not appear to be pleased at this development, but he played along and answered Renner’s questions.
WATCH:
An assistant United States attorney, Robert Renner, is observing & asking questions inside L.A. County’s central processing center where hundreds-of-thousands of ballots remain to be counted. Also with him is a worker who identified as being with California AG Bonta’s office. pic.twitter.com/iVkEt5yvtx
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) June 5, 2026
Bottom line: All eyes are on California, as it should be. For too long, the state has skirted accountability and built an infrastructure that favors one-party rule to the detriment of its citizens and proper governance.Â
While we have no idea whether this will affect the outcome of this current primary election, change is on the wind.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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