DHS Secretary Mullin talks election security after Trump speech | AP News
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DHS Secretary Mullin says he’ll chase voter fraud after Trump revives election claims
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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LUENA RODRIGUEZ-FEO VILEIRA, BERNARD MCGHEE, NELL CLARK and KIANA DOYLE
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
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Here’s what we’re following:
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullinpledged to aggressively pursue voter fraud casesin a briefingat the White House complex on Friday after President Donald Trump revived debunked election theories in hisprimetime speechon Thursday night.
- Mullin refused to comment, however, on a shooting in Maine and other deadly encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which haveraised questionsabout how ICE officersare vetted. The officer involved in the Maine killing had ahistoryof mental health issues and violent behavior, the AP reported Thursday. Mullin said the shooting was being investigated.
- Trump’s speech elevated his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of U.S. elections and dispute his 2020 loss to justify his push topass a strict voter ID bill. His allegations of interference focused on China but lacked key context and evidence that votes or the election outcome were manipulated.Trump also said he was releasing previously classified documents related to the 2020 and 2018 elections.
- The president’s return to the subject comes despite persistent voter concerns about the cost of living and U.S. forcesescalating strikes on Iran in a conflict for which there is no end in sight.
Judge rules against use of obscure clause to cancel grants to states
By MICHAEL CASEY
A federal judge in Boston has ruled the Trump administration can’t use an obscure clause relating to agency priorities to make funding cuts
Twenty-three states had accused the administration of using the clause to make billions of dollars in cuts to everything from crime prevention to food security to scientific research
The judge granted a summary judgment preventing the administration from relying on the clause to make cuts
The federal government called the litigation an “extraordinarily unusual lawsuit” and accused the states of “raising blanket, undifferentiated objections” to the termination of thousands of grants without seeking relief that would “restore a single grant.”
‘May the best team win,’ Trump says of World Cup final
By ASHLEY THOMAS
President Donald Trump speaks as FIFA President Gianni Infantino listens at a reception at Trump Tower in New York, Friday, July 17, 2026. /Jacquelyn Martin)
Trump is set to attend the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, but he’s being diplomatic on which team he hopes wins
At a FIFA reception at Trump Tower on Friday alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Trump noted the final match would be between “two amazing teams.”
He did, however, single out Argentina star Lionel Messi for his play, calling out the pass he made for Argentina’s winning goal against England and a hat trick that Messi pulled off early in the tournament
Trump called the 2026 World Cup “one of the all time greatest sporting events in history,” adding that the tournament galvanized more than just the sporting world
“So good luck to Spain and Argentina on Sunday and may the best team win,” Trump said
Trump says he called FIFA chief to ‘lodge a complaint’ over red card
By WILL WEISSERT
Referee Raphael Claus of Brazil shows a red card to United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. /Julio Cortez)
After forward Folarin Balogun received a red card ban against Belgium, Trump said he was “forced” to call FIFA President Gianni Infantino and “just make a recommendation.”
Speaking at a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in Manhattan, the president recalled, “I said, ‘I’d like to wage a complaint.’”
Trump said he “had no idea what was going to happen” but that it worked out “so much better” because “there’s no controversy.”
“They won the game and our team had all of its players,” Trump added of Belgium’s 4-1 win to reach the World Cup’s quarterfinals
The president then noted of Infantino: “You made another great decision” but “I know you’ll never get credit.”
US and Iran escalate strikes across Mideast; bridges and a water plant hit
By JON GAMBRELL
The United States and Iran escalated their attacks across the Middle East on Friday, trading strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets as their battle over the Strait of Hormuz intensified
The U.S. expanded its attacks against Iran by hitting more bridges and energy sites and collapsing a tower at a key Iranian port, following through on President Donald Trump’s threats to pressure Tehran to ease its chokehold on the waterway vital to world energy supplies
In response, Iran launched missiles into U.S.-allied nations in the Mideast, including Qatar, a mediator in the war, and Kuwait, where one of the desert nation’s water desalination plants was damaged
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JUST IN: US military says it’s launched strikes on Iran for a seventh night in a row as fighting escalates over Strait of Hormuz
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Trump threatens Canada with tariffs over wildfire smoke
By WILL WEISSERT
The president said he was “holding Canada responsible” for the U.S. “being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air.”
In a post on his social media site, Trump called the situation “totally unacceptable” and said that summer smoke from fires in Canada is “becoming a yearly occurrence.”
He said he’d call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday, and added that the “cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”
The Trump administration has imposed import tariffs on some Canadian products, though the Supreme Court declared many such levies unconstitutional
Unmentioned was the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday, but the White House says administration officials are monitoring the wildfire situation
Trump urges Darline Graham to run for full Senate term as funeral scheduled for Lindsey Graham
By MEG KINNARD, SEUNG MIN KIM
President Donald Trump said Friday that Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, has his support to run for a full term to replace her brother in the U.S. Senate
He wrote on social media that she “has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”
“RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Trump added
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JUST IN: Trump says Darline Graham should run for full US Senate term to replace late brother Lindsey Graham
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
13 US troops injured in latest Iran fighting
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
The number of service members injured in the Iran war has gone up by 13 troops since Monday, according to the Pentagon’s official casualty count
According to data in the Defense Casualty Analysis System, the 13 injured troops include 10 Army soldiers and three Navy sailors. No additional information was available, including the date or location of their injuries
The new injuries come during a week of renewed and intense fighting between Iran and the U.S., with both sides launching strikes for several consecutive days
Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for U.S. Central Command, declined to offer any details about the injuries or what U.S. bases and assets have been hit in the renewed wave of fighting
The total U.S. casualty count for the conflict now stands at 14 dead and 427 wounded. Central Command has previously said the majority of the wounded suffered traumatic brain injuries
DHS secretary says ICE hitting arrest records ‘every single day’
By REBECCA SANTANA
Mullin said the department is ramping up enforcement and hitting records for the number of arrests
“Our arrests are up. We’re hitting single day records every single day,” Mullin said
Mullin also said the agency deported 442,637 people in 2025 and so far this year has deported 403,294
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
“We’re trying to perfect our ability to work with local law enforcement, state law enforcement,” he said
ICE and DHS do not release regular data related to deportations, arrests and detention, leading to criticism that there’s no way to verify their work
Unlike his predecessor Kristi Noem, Mullin has attempted to keep a lower profile for immigration enforcement operations. But the recent shooting deaths of two people who were killed by ICE officers during operations has brought the department back into the spotlight
Trump’s envoy greeted by protests in Venice on latest stop of super yacht diplomacy tour
By COLLEEN BARRY
The billionaire U.S. ambassador toItalywas met by protests when he arrived in Venice on Friday aboard his luxury yacht as part of a coastal diplomacy tour marking the 250th anniversary of American independence
Hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta’s arrival represents an unwelcome display of American wealth and influence for many Italians at a time when they see theTrump administration as upending the post-World War II international order
The so-called Coastal Diplomacy 250 tour of 13 Italian coastal regions on a super yacht is intended to celebrate “our shared history, our economic partnership, and the cultural bonds that make the U.S.-Italy relationship so special,” Fertitta said in a social media post
In Venice, many of the same groups that protested the wedding last year of Jeff Bezos to Lauren Sanchez are mobilizing against Fertitta’s arrival aboard the 117-meter (384-foot) luxury yacht, Boardwalk, which features two helipads, a pair of swimming pools and a fully equipped spa and gym
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Mullin won’t comment on ICE shootings and says arrests are up
By REBECCA SANTANA
The Homeland Security secretary said during a news conference that he hadn’t heard about allegations of violent behavior against a deportation officer who shot and killed a Colombian man in Maine earlier this week
Relatives of the officer told The Associated Press he struggled with serious mental health issues, had a history of violent behavior and never should have been given a badge and gun
Protesters gather near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility Scarborough, Maine, one day after the shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. /Robert F. Bukaty)
Mullin said the shooting was being investigated and he’d allow the investigation to go forward
“We understand that it’s being investigated, and we’ll allow the investigation to go through. That’s all I’m going to say about that,” said Mullin
He wouldn’t comment on whether the officer was on leave but said that was standard practice in the aftermath of any shooting
DHS secretary pledges to aggressively chase voter fraud cases
By ALI SWENSON
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said if anyone votes illegally in the upcoming midterm elections, “we will hunt you down, we will find you and we will prosecute you.”
In a White House briefing doubling down on Trump’s primetime election claims, Mullin also threatened fines, penalties or prison time for state election officials who refuse to hand over sensitive voter data to DHS
He said states that don’t elect to use DHS’s recently updated tool for identifying noncitizen voters, will become “a priority” for investigations
The comments come as a federal judge has blocked the use of DHS’s updated system, citing voter privacy and the fact that it can result in the wrongful purging of eligible voters
Why American elections are so complicated — and secure
By ALI SWENSON
In his speech to the nation Thursday evening, President Trump said Americans deserve secure elections, and he claimed to be using federal authority to prevent them from being “stolen.”
In fact, one of the strongest security features of U.S. elections is the fact that they aren’t conducted at the federal level. America votes in more than 10,000 different election jurisdictions, each with different rules set by state and sometimes local governments
That structure makes the nation’s elections extraordinarily complicated — and also safe from widespread fraud. And when misconduct does happen — rarely — security protocols frequently catch it
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ICE has seen a surge in new hires
By REBECCA SANTANA
A federal agent wears an Immigration and Customs Enforcement badge in New York, June 10, 2025. /Yuki Iwamura, File)
In January, Homeland Security said it had hired 12,000 new officers and agents since the hiring surge began and said thousands of those new officers were already out on the streets assisting with investigations. The number includes both deportation officers and agents for Homeland Security Investigations, a separate agency that falls under ICE
ICE has said the majority of new hires are police and military veterans. But evidence has been mounting that applicants with questionable histories were either not fully vetted before they were brought on or were hired in spite of their past, an investigation by The Associated Press earlier this year found
Maine shooting and officer’s background raise new questions about ICE’s rapid hiring
By REBECCA SANTANA
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been rapidly expanding its workforce, hiring thousands of new officers as part of the Trump administration’s attempt to ramp up immigration arrests and deportations
The supersizing of ICE — fueled by an infusion of billions of dollars granted by Congress — has raised concerns about the agency’s hiring practices and whether officers being brought on are receiving proper vetting. Those concerns have been rejected by the Department of Homeland Security
Relatives of the ICE officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week told The Associated Press he struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood and never should have been given a badge and gun to patrol American streets
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Lawmakers demand answers after ‘bombshell’ report of ICE officer shooting in Maine
By LISA MASCARO
Democratic members of Congress demanded answers about Homeland Security’svetting and training of immigration enforcement agents after it was disclosed Thursday that the ICE officer involved in a deadly shooting this week in Maine had a history of mental health issues and violent behavior
The Associated Press reported that David Brouillette, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine, is an Army veteran who’s struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood, according to several of his close relatives
The AP reached out to congressional leaders and several key lawmakers of both parties for response
The top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, said Brouillette’s history of violence and mental health issues, as well as the death in Maine, “directly call into question the supposed vetting and training ICE does of its recruits.”
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To air or not to air? Nation’s TV networks struggle to find the right balance for Trump speech
By JOCELYN NOVECK
President Donald Trump is seen speaking from the East Room on a television in the West Wing of the White House, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
As President Trump threatened sanctions for those who didn’t cover his address live Thursday night, the nation’s broadcast and cable news operations wrestled with the thorniest of questions: To air or not to air?
Networks and their news operations, broadcast and cable alike, spent the hours leading up to Trump’s address debating how to cover it — and struggling to balance delivering the news with handing over their airwaves to potential falsehoods about the 2020 elections
In the end, a patchwork quilt of coverage was largely united by one common strategy: real-time fact-checking as much as was possible even while the president was still speaking
The dilemma took place against a backdrop of deep tension between the media and a president working to exert control over it by whatever means he can. Even in his speech itself, Trump excoriated networks that chose not to carry it live
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Rubio set for Asia trip
By MICHELLE L. PRICE
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to the Philippines next week to attend meetings with foreign ministers at a gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN
The State Department says Rubio is going to meet with his counterparts and senior officials from governments in the region as he pushes for a free and open Indo-Pacific
Rubio is scheduled to leave for Manila on Sunday and head back to the U.S. on Thursday
China rejects Trump’s election interference claim as ‘groundless accusations’
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE – The U.S. and Chinese flag at the Great Hall of the People prior to the state dinner of President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14, 2026, in Beijing. /Mark Schiefelbein, File)
China on Friday said it has never interfered in U.S. elections and has no interest in doing so, urging Washington to stop making what it described as “groundless accusations” after President Trump accused Beijing of meddling in the 2020 election
In an address to the nation Thursday, Trump again raised doubts about the U.S. elections results in 2020 and accused China of interfering in them
“The relevant allegations by the U.S. are entirely fabricated and aimed at vilifying China,” said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian. “We have no interest in interfering in US elections and have never done so.”
In a daily briefing in Beijing, Lin called on the U.S. to stop making groundless accusations against China
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Former intelligence official calls Trump’s address ‘dangerous’
By MICHELLE L. PRICE, ERIC TUCKER, COLLIN BINKLEY
Sue Gordon, principal deputy director of national intelligence in Trump’s first term, called the president’s address “a dangerous speech about an incredibly important topic.” She said the intelligence community throughout Trump’s first term was alarmed about foreign interference in elections, but Trump scoffed at them, angered at the investigation of his campaign’s relationship with Russia
“He had an entire term to deal with it and I don’t know how you can believe how the same community that told him about it, that was excoriated about it” wouldn’t warn him in 2020, Gordon said on CNN
Conservative commentator John Solomon, who joined the White House staff last month and was seated in the East Room for Trump’s speech, later told MS NOW “the intelligence community has zero evidence that someone has flipped — that a foreign power flipped — a vote in 2020, ‘22 or ’24.”
But, he added, “We’re not through all the documents.”
Trump doesn’t raise doubts about his election wins
By MICHELLE L. PRICE, ERIC TUCKER, COLLIN BINKLEY
President Donald Trump began Thursday night with a stark warning about what he described as flaws in the voting system and said he was releasing previously classified documents related to the 2020 and 2018 elections, when he lost the presidential election and when his party suffered losses
Trump’s speech presented allegations of interference and influence in ways that lacked key context and did not produce evidence that votes had been manipulated or that the election outcome had been altered
Notably, he focused on China but glossed over Russia, a country intelligence officials have said favored Trump in 2016 and 2020 and engaged in wide-ranging influence campaigns aimed at boosting him over Democrat Joe Biden in the latter campaign
Trump’s Thursday night address hinged on contradictions
By MICHELLE L. PRICE, ERIC TUCKER, COLLIN BINKLEY
President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Washington. (Saul Loeb/Pool
A twice-elected president complained about his one personal defeat, alleged a cover-up by officials in his own first administration and surfaced claims about countries attempting to harm his own prospects while staying silent on steps taken by other nations to boost him
Trump used the remarks to justify his push to pass a strict voter ID bill in Congress that hasn’t advanced because it lacks enough support from his fellow Republicans
“America is back and doing really well, but we still have a major challenge that must be urgently addressed, because no country can be great without fair and honest elections,” he said
