WATCH: Padilla Warns Trump Is Trying to Interfere in Midterm Elections, Urges Officials to Prepare for Worst-Case Scenarios

Padilla: “We can’t leave anything to chance. We have to be ready.” WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, joined MS NOW’s The Weeknight to sound the alarm on efforts by the Trump Administration to undermine free and fair elections ahead of the 2026 midterms. Padilla discussed concerns over a proposed U.S. Postal Service rule tied to President Trump’s executive order targeting vote-by-mail, efforts to access voter rolls, and the need for election officials and voters to prepare for unprecedented threats to the electoral process. View the full interview here : Key Excerpts: On the Trump Administration’s attacks on voting rights: “We’re talking about redistricting fights, we’ve been talking about voter purges, now trying to access voter rolls, everybody’s personal information now, [and now] elimination of vote by mail — which Donald Trump votes by mail, but he doesn’t think it’s good enough for the rest of us.” “We need the American public to know, hey, we’re on it. We’re pushing back, fighting back legislatively, legally, by any means necessary to protect people’s access to the ballot.” On preparing for unprecedented election interference: “Now, election officials are talking about, okay, what if armed federal agents show up at the polls under some pretext and intimidate voters? Now, what do we do?” “ My advice to state and local colleagues is think of the craziest scenario you can imagine, and then think even crazier, because we’ve got to be prepared for anything. We will be prepared for anything .” On Trump’s efforts to undermine confidence in elections: “He said it in 2016. He said it in 2020. He said it in 2024. And he’s saying it again to set the stage for when he doesn’t get his way, he needs to find an excuse.” “Surely he doesn’t like not getting his way at the ballot box, which is why he’s trying to influence and interfere with this November’s election while we’re still in primary season.” On what voters can do to protect their vote: “Know your rules. What does it take to register to vote if you’re not registered? And even if you are registered, it’s a good idea to verify your registration status…” “Make your plan to vote early. Get your friends, get your neighbors, get your family members, get your coworkers to vote in advance.” On California being targeted by Trump: “There’s things that Donald Trump does not like. Number one, dissent. He doesn’t like people disagreeing with him and his agenda. Number two, he doesn’t like accountability.”