Trump Ally Kurt Olsen Sought Voting Machine Ban Based on Baseless National Security Fears
White House adviser Kurt Olsen spearheaded an initiative to ban voting machines, including those from Dominion Voting Systems, by proposing that the Commerce Department designate their components as national security risks. The effort, reported by Reuters, was rooted in widely debunked election-rigging conspiracy theories.
Olsen advocated for a national system of hand-counted paper ballots, a concept publicly supported by former President Donald Trump. The plan progressed to the point where Commerce Department officials began exploring its legal basis, with other administration officials such as Paul McNamara and Brian Sikma involved.
Ultimately, the initiative collapsed because Olsen and his team failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify such a drastic measure. This attempt was part of a broader administration campaign to challenge states' constitutional authority over elections, despite repeated investigations finding no evidence of Dominion machines being hacked.
Inside the Failed MAGA Push to Hand-Count Every Ballot
The push to ban voting machines was part of a larger effort by Trump allies to overhaul election procedures. Olsen's proposal would have required the Commerce Department to deem certain voting machine components as threats to national security, effectively banning their use. However, the plan stalled due to lack of evidence, underscoring the baseless nature of the conspiracy theories driving it.
Despite multiple investigations by federal and state authorities confirming the security of Dominion machines, Trump and his allies continued to push for hand-counting ballots, a method widely considered less accurate and more time-consuming.
