Majority Whip Steve Scalise was at a loss for words when CBS host Margaret Brennan asked him why AG Pam Bondi demanded Minnesota turn over its voter rolls to end the ICE siege on the state.
Scalise's first response had no bearing on the Face the Nation host's question and instead he brought up the right wing lies about fraud and abuse in Minnesota.
BRENNAN: Leader, we have seen a letter that Attorney General Pam Bondi sent to Governor Walz out in Minnesota offering to end the federal surge if the state does a number of things, among them giving access to the food assistance programs and voter registration logs.
What's the purpose of that?
What's the intent?
SCALISE: Well I haven't read that letter between Pam Bondi and the governor but I know that we are investigating tens of billions of dollars of potential fraud coming out of Minnesota.
There have been hearings that have already been held.
The conspiracy theory about fraud and abuse from the MAGA cult in Minnesota has nothing to do with Brennan's question.
When Brennan brought up the voter rolls again, Scalise chose the Mike Johnson know-nothing routine, pretending he had no idea what was in Pam Bondi's letter, and then proceeded to rambled on about voter ID laws.
BRENNAN: Voter registration logs? As a conservative does that make you a little uncomfortable that they're demanding the state hand over voter registration logs?
Like what's the purpose of that? To end ICE enforcement?
SCALISE: Well I haven't seen the letter.
I know we're trying in Congress to deal with putting laws on the books that will make sure that we protect the integrity of the vote nationwide.
States like Minnesota have had problems with voter integrity.
During the 2020 election states did not have problems with voter integrity. That was one of the many lies Trump and his cohorts used to try and overthrow the 2020 elections. Scalise happily promotes those lies.
The Majority Whip then launched into a tirade about passing voter ID laws which is all about voter suppression and not integrity, but that has nothing to do with demands from the Trump administration for states to turn over their voter rolls.
They are doing the same thing to the great state of California. Marc Elias has successfully turned back efforts to get these in three states, and will keep asking the courts to bar this intrusion into states' rights.
It's as if Scalise heard a different question than what we all heard.
Voter rolls to Trump mean more forms of intimidation he can bring down on any state that defies him as well as destroying privacy rights of all voters.
