In-House Opinions: Members of Congress on Trump election-fraud speech

23 Jul 2026, 22:22 · The Fresno Bee

For our regular In-House Opinions feature on the editorial pages, this week we asked Southern California members of Congress for their views on President Donald Trump’s recent speech about what he sees as massive election fraud in our country.

We also asked for their opinions on mail-in voting in general, and on whether the late count made necessary by California’s voting rules is in need of reform so that we get results early, as we did when almost all ballots but for so-called absentees were tallied on election night in the Golden State.

Some of their replies are as follows:

Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona: “The president can keep repeating the same false claims about our elections, but the facts haven’t changed, our elections are secure, and Americans deserve leaders who respect both the truth and their constitutional right to vote. Instead of trying to change the rules because the president knows the American people are frustrated with rising costs, attacks on our freedoms, and billions being spent on conflicts overseas instead of investing in our communities, this administration should focus on the challenges families face every day.

“The American people, not politicians, decide our elections. No amount of misinformation or voter suppression will change that. We should be supporting our local election officials as they make sure every eligible American can vote no matter their net worth or party and that every lawful ballot is counted, because our democracy is strongest when every voice is heard."

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona: ”In the last election, Republican California Congressman John Duarte was defeated by just 187 votes. When you have razor-thin elections it does not take a significant amount of fraud to change the outcome. Just this week we learned that hundreds of non-citizens have illegally cast ballots in blue states like New Jersey, and thousands more are improperly registered to vote. That's why I have worked to get voter ID on the ballot here in California. We can enhance the security of elections by passing Prop. 39 this fall and putting a commonsense voter ID requirement in place here in California. Prop. 39 also enhances the vote-by-mail process by requiring voters to put on the return envelope the last four digits of the same government-issued ID that they have on file with their voter registration. These are simple steps that are successfully being used in other states, that improve the integrity of our elections and give voters more confidence in the outcomes.”

Rep. Dave Min, D-Irvine: “The facts are clear. Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud have been repeatedly and definitively debunked by Republican and Democratic election officials, national security leaders and dozens of courts - including ones with judges he has appointed. His campaign filed more than 60 lawsuits challenging the 2020 election and failed to produce evidence sufficient to overturn the results. Federal election security officials called the 2020 election ‘the most secure in American history,’ which includes voting by mail.

”It is also interesting that Trump claims that the 2020 election, which occurred while he was president, was rigged, while accepting the results of the 2016 and 2024 elections, when he was not president.

”Finally, it is worth noting that there has been zero evidence of any mass vote-by-mail fraud. And the SAVE Act that Donald Trump is pushing so hard would in fact make it difficult for anyone who does not have a passport or birth certificate handy to vote, especially married women or others who might have changed their names.

”What Trump is doing right now is straight out of the authoritarian playbook: Claim voting is rigged so he can try to take control of our elections and end free and fair elections. This is a defining moment. Every elected official, regardless of party, should reject these lies unequivocally. History will remember who defended our democracy and who stood by while it was under attack.”

Rep. Young Kim, R-Anaheim Hills: “Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy. Americans deserve basic confidence that every legal vote is counted and that our elections are secure. That confidence is undermined when election safeguards are ignored. That's why Americans overwhelmingly support voter ID, a simple standard we already require to board a plane, purchase alcohol or pick up a prescription. This isn't controversial, and it shouldn't be partisan. Our elections deserve at least as much consideration as a bottle of beer."