‘Irony Is Dead’: Newsom Makes Desperate Move After DOJ Announcement About Prop 50 Election Observers
- DOJ plans federal election monitors in California and New Jersey after GOP requests.
- California responds by sending state monitors to watch the federal observers.
- Democrats cry intimidation while Republicans argue this is about election integrity.
- Prop 50 would hand control of redistricting back to state politicians, raising gerrymander alarms.
- Harmeet Dhillon mocked the state response as performative and over the top.
Governor Gavin Newsom and his allies moved quickly to shadow federal monitors after the DOJ said it would send observers for the Nov. 4 special election. The state is now sending its own monitors to watch the watchers, which feels more like theater than reassurance. Voters are left wondering who is actually protecting ballot security.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta threw out a dramatic accusation that President Trump’s people want to “sow seeds of doubt” about the election. He framed the DOJ presence as a partisan setup instead of acknowledging that transparency helps build trust. That spin ignores why state GOPs asked for federal oversight in the first place.
“They’re not going to be allowed to interfere in ways that the law prohibits,” Bonta, a Democrat, told reporters during a virtual news conference. “We cannot be naive. The Republican Party asked for the U.S. DOJ to come in.”
“He [Trump] is laying the groundwork. He is socializing an idea that is very dangerous,” Bonta added. The warning sounds ominous until you remember federal oversight is normal after credible concerns are raised. Republicans pushed for observers because they want eyes on the process, plain and simple.
Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, reacted the way many conservatives did — with incredulity. “I thought this was a joke, so I didn’t comment…. But apparently irony is dead …,” Dhillon’s post read.
The DOJ will monitor specific counties after state Republican parties requested the help, a move aimed at ensuring federal election law compliance. That step is narrowly targeted and tied to verifiable concerns, not a nationwide plot. The focus is on making sure ballots are handled the same way everywhere.
Five counties in California and one in New Jersey are to be under scrutiny in the upcoming 2025 election.
The Department of Justice is preparing to send federal election observers to California and New Jersey next month, targeting two Democratic states holding off-year elections following requests from state Republican parties.
The DOJ announced Friday that it is planning to monitor polling sites in Passaic County, New Jersey, and five counties in southern and central California: Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside, and Fresno. The goal, according to the DOJ, is “to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.”
“Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement to The Associated Press.
Newsom called the DOJ move voter intimidation and said, “This is a bridge too far.” That message plays well to his base but rings hollow to voters who just want fair rules followed. Conservatives see the state response as a preemptive smear meant to delegitimize oversight.
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