Ken Cuccinelli, former Virginia Attorney General and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, joined Dan Proft on Chicago’s Morning Answer to discuss the ongoing disputes between the Trump administration and state governments over voter data, redistricting, and the possible deployment of the National Guard.
At issue in Illinois is the state’s refusal to turn over its full voter registration list to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Cuccinelli, who now chairs the Election Transparency Initiative, said the request is intended to enforce federal requirements for maintaining accurate voter rolls under the “motor voter” law passed more than 30 years ago. He argued that resistance from Illinois officials is political theater. “These rolls are often riddled with errors,” Cuccinelli said, citing a Judicial Watch lawsuit that forced Los Angeles County to remove over a million ineligible or deceased names from its voter file. “The more junk in the system, the easier it is to hide fraud.”
Cuccinelli noted that voter files are already available to political campaigns and political action committees, making Illinois’ claims of protecting sensitive information ring hollow. He believes the state is stalling to avoid scrutiny of whether its voter rolls are properly maintained. “This is about transparency and following federal law,” he said.
The conversation also touched on the controversy over mid-decade redistricting in Texas. Cuccinelli pointed out that the process began after a Fifth Circuit Court ruling invalidated certain “coalition districts” that combined Black and Hispanic voters under the Voting Rights Act. He criticized governors such as J.B. Pritzker of Illinois for ignoring the legal basis for the redistricting, instead framing it as partisan overreach.
Finally, Proft pressed Cuccinelli on whether Trump has the authority to federalize the National Guard in cities like Chicago. Cuccinelli explained that while the president’s powers over Washington, D.C. are unique, the Insurrection Act allows federalizing Guard units for specific law enforcement purposes. He said such forces could enforce federal crimes, though not state or local laws, and noted that similar authority has been used throughout U.S. history.
Cuccinelli concluded that both election integrity and public safety debates reveal a broader pattern: state leaders resisting Trump’s directives for political advantage. But he said federal authority, when rooted in law, ultimately prevails.