Federal judge rejects Trump DOJ bid to block California ballot counting
A federal judge rejected the Trump administration's emergency request to force California to set aside approximately 20,000 mail-in ballots from voters the Justice Department claims are noncitizens. The judge stated the request was unprecedented and would cause significant disruption to the voting process. A special master was subsequently appointed to evaluate the DOJ's claims about noncitizens on California voter rolls.
Left-leaning outlets emphasize the judge's rejection was decisive, with one describing the DOJ's claims as 'unsubstantial' and another noting the judge warned the action would 'wreak havoc' on voting. Governor Newsom characterized the effort as an 'assault on democracy.'
Center outlet Newsweek focused on the procedural aspect, reporting that a judge ordered the DOJ to submit its list of suspected noncitizen voters by a Friday deadline, framing this as an ongoing legal process rather than a definitive ruling.
Right-leaning outlets characterized the outcome as a 'loss' for Trump and the DOJ, though some noted the judge called the administration's claims 'not credible' and found the request 'unprecedented.' Coverage acknowledged the judicial rejection while maintaining focus on the underlying noncitizen voter allegations.