GOP Election Officials Rip Trump’s Voter Suppression Executive Order as Doomed in Court

President Trump’s new executive order targeting voting access is already collapsing under the weight of legal challenges — and even GOP election officials are publicly doubting its legality and wisdom. Two prominent Republicans involved in election administration have gone on record calling the order unconstitutional and dangerous to voter confidence.

Stephen Richer, former Maricopa County recorder who oversaw the 2020 election aftermath, told ABC’s “This Week” the order “is probably going to be enjoined very quickly.” Richer, who has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to seize election records in Arizona, described the order as a cynical ploy to “sow further confusion” and revive debunked Big Lie conspiracy theories despite exhaustive investigations and audits.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt echoed those concerns, emphasizing that the order risks confusing voters and undermining trust in the electoral system. His state’s attorney general is among those suing to block the order, underscoring the bipartisan rejection of Trump’s voter suppression tactics.

The executive order demands states create detailed citizenship databases and restrict mail-in voting, moves widely seen as unconstitutional and aimed at disenfranchising voters. It has already sparked at least five lawsuits from voting rights groups, Democratic congressional leaders, and a coalition of state attorneys general.

Richer and Schmidt’s rare public break with Trump’s narrative highlights a broader pattern: attempts to weaponize election administration to sow distrust and suppress turnout are failing even among Republican officials entrusted with overseeing fair elections.

As courts prepare to strike down this latest assault on voting rights, one thing is clear: Trump’s voter suppression executive order is not just legally shaky — it’s a dangerous gambit that risks further eroding American democracy.