Trump Is Building a National Voter List — And It's Worse Than You Think | Sen. Alex Padilla

Senator Alex Padilla joins Marc Elias to discuss Trump's "flat out unconstitutional" executive order demanding that the Department of Homeland Security make a list of citizens. It gets worse: Only those on that list will receive mail-in ballots.Support Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/youtube00:00 Welcome Today’s Guest: Alex Padilla00:37 State of the SAVE Act & Senate Standoff01:58 How Democrats Are Blocking the Bill Daily03:12 Can Republicans Bypass the Filibuster?05:08 Lawsuits, Media Coverage & Florida’s Version of the Bill06:30 Why Republicans Target California10:01 Breaking Down Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Elections12:28 Where Are Congressional Republicans?15:00 Padilla Reflects on Being Physically Confronted by Federal Forces18:22 ICE Expansion, Detention Conditions & Oversight Battles21:27 California Ballot Seizure Controversy & Election Threats

Donald Trump has fired Pam Bondi as Attorney General, and her replacement could be someone even more hostile to voting rights. Marc Elias is joined by Democracy Docket Legal Content Editor Ashley Cleaves to analyze Bondi's legacy and discuss the implications of this move for the 2026 elections.Support Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/anchor-youtube-friday00:00 Trump Fires Pam Bondi00:38 Today's Guest: Ashley Cleaves01:13 Bondi’s Rise & Loyalty to Trump04:22 Weaponizing the DOJ: Bondi’s Legacy08:48 DOJ Turns Against Voting Rights11:04 Lawsuits, Ballot Seizures & Voter Data Fights15:36 Key Legal Battles Shaping the 2026 Elections17:13 Who Replaces Bondi? Top Contenders20:06 DOJ Incompetence vs. Political Agenda25:11 Supreme Court Cases & What Comes Next

Rep. Jamie Raskin joins Marc Elias to discuss Donald Trump violating the Constitution, the president’s efforts to seize control of elections, and the Department of Justice acting as the Department of Donald Trump’s Vendettas.Support Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/anchor-youtube-thursday00:00 Today's Guest: Jamie Raskin01:09 Congressional Power vs Donald Trump Executive Overreach02:18 Is Congress Failing to Check the Presidency?05:49 Epstein Files, War Powers & Rule of Law Concerns08:22 Would the Founders Recognize Today’s Government?12:12 Clash with Pam Bondi & DOJ Transparency Battle16:35 Supreme Court Case on Mail-In Voting & Election Rules20:12 Election Fears, Voter Access & Final Constitutional Warning

Marc Elias breaks down the timeline of the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, exposing a massive cover-up by the Department of Justice to protect President Donald Trump.Support Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/anchor-youtube-tuesday00:00 The Epstein Files00:47 Who Was Jeffrey Epstein?01:40 Trump, MAGA & The Promise to Release the Files03:17 DOJ’s First “Release” Falls Apart04:29 Pam Bondi’s Letter & Demand for Full Files10:49 Silence, Deflection & the July FBI Memo18:06 “No Evidence” — The Cover-Up Question22:07 Congress Forces Action on Epstein Files26:24 DOJ Misses Deadline & Delays Release32:35 Millions Missing: Where Are the Files?

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins Marc Elias to expose the SAVE America Act — a Republican voter suppression bill that would hand disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of American citizens. This is not a policy debate. This is a blueprint for stealing elections.Support Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/anchor-youtube-friday00:00 Today’s Guest: Sheldon Whitehouse00:41 Inside the Save America Act: What Republicans Are Trying to Pass03:49 The Real Goal: Control of Voter Data & Registration07:31 Federal vs State Elections — Why This Shift Matters10:06 Will This Bill Actually Pass the Senate?12:56 Supreme Court Clash Over Voting Laws15:21 What to Watch From the Supreme Court Next19:00 DOJ Ballot Seizures & the Fulton County Raid24:17 Why This Search Warrant Raises Red Flags28:17 Is This a Test Run for Future Elections?31:05 How Ballot Data Could Be Used to Influence Votes35:39 Epstein Files: What’s Still Being Hidden?40:19 Is the Government Acting in Trump’s Interest?41:52 What Voters Should Do Right Now

Steve Bannon just admitted it: Trump's ICE airport deployments are a test run — and the target is YOUR vote.From Fulton County to Minneapolis, Marc Elias breaks down Trump's test runs ahead of the 2026 midterms, and explains what we can do to prepare.Support Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/anchor-youtube-thursday00:00 Steve Bannon Reveals Secret Plan01:13 Who is Steve Bannon?02:03 The ICE "Test Case": From Airports to Polling Places02:51 Logistical Suppression: Creating Manufactured Long Lines04:13 Case Study: Disparate Wait Times and Georgia's Voting Barriers07:40 The Threat of ICE Agents Checking Voter IDs10:23 The Mission of Democracy Docket in Defending Rights12:31 Neighborhood Disruptions and the Non-Citizen Voting Myth16:04 Learning from the Past: Ballot Seizures and Office Raids19:59 Expanding Tactics: Recent Ballot Seizures in California22:17 Trump’s "Optionality": Multiple Paths for Subversion29:56 Looking Ahead: Responding to Suppression and Calls to Action

Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner joins Marc Elias to break down why the rule of law is hanging by a thread. They also discuss the Epstein files cover-up, DOJ ethics violations, and why we need a scorched-earth accountability effort.Support Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/anchor-youtube-tuesday00:00 Today's Guest: Glenn Kirschner00:41 One Year In: How is the Nation and the Rule of Law Doing?02:47 What Does the New "Accountability Project" Look Like?05:43 Where Will the Next Generation of Non-Political Prosecutors Come From?07:40 Context: Glenn's History with Eric Holder and Bob Mueller09:42 Unpacking Legal Standards: Probable Cause vs. Likelihood of Conviction11:06 Case Study: The Sean Dunn "Sandwich Throwing" Prosecution17:58 Accountability After Jan 6th: What Was Done Right and Wrong?23:56 Avoiding the "Normalizing" of Political Crimes in 202926:19 Current Events: The Seizure of Ballots in Fulton County28:15 Discussion: The "Presumption of Regularity" in Trump-era Courts35:02 Is the Supreme Court Recalibrating on Executive Power?37:21 Potential DOJ Interference in the Upcoming Election40:13 The Epstein Files: What is Happening with the Missing Records?47:44 Final Thoughts: What Can Everyday Americans Do to Fight Back?

Republicans are trying to make it harder for your mail-in ballot to count. Marc Elias breaks down Watson v. RNC, the Supreme Court case that could wipe out hundreds of thousands of votes in 2026, and reveals the bombshell hiding in the 2000 election that exposes Republican hypocrisy.Support Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/anchor-youtube-friday#VotingRights #Trump #Politics00:00 The Supreme Court and the Mississippi Voting Case00:46 From the SAFE Act to the SAVE America Act01:31 Watson v. RNC and the RNC’s Strategy02:56 The Four Pillars and Protecting the Postmark Rule04:43 Mail Service Delays and Disenfranchisement06:59 Legal Path: Bost v. Illinois and Reaching the High Court10:08 The Legal Argument: Cast vs. Received13:43 Future Threats: Early Voting and Counting Deadlines15:16 Challenging RNC Legal Theories and "One-Day" Voting16:53 The 2000 Election: How This Rule Would Have Elected Al Gore20:54 The Role of the Department of Justice23:09 The Fight for 2026 and Closing Remarks

George Conway — former Republican lawyer, Trump critic, and congressional candidate in NY-12 — sits down with Marc Elias to discuss the state of American democracy, Trump's authoritarian tactics, and what we can do to stop him.Conway argues that everything we warned about in 2024 is now coming to fruition: a president intent on holding onto power, unconstrained the rule of law, and willing to undermine free and fair elections. He doesn't mince words — impeachment isn't just an option, it's a constitutional obligation.Support Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/anchor-youtube-thursday00:00 Today’s Guest: George Conway00:38 Assessing the Trump Presidency in 202603:53 The Psychology of a Malignant Narcissist08:33 Global Risks and Economic Dislocation13:21 Why the Republican Party is No Longer Conservative18:22 Why George Conway is Running for Congress21:30 The Failure and Cowardice of "Big Law"28:30 Using Impeachment to Protect the Constitution33:30 Issues Facing New York’s 12th District41:03 How to Support the Campaign and Stay Informed

The SAVE America Act isn't about securing free and fair elections — it's actually the opposite. It’s about stealing the 2026 midterms. Marc Elias breaks down exactly how this voter suppression bill works, and why millions of Americans could lose their right to vote.#VotingRights #MarcElias #VoterSuppressionSupport Democracy Docket's mission:https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/anchor-youtube-tuesday00:00 Trump's Plan to Steal the 2026 Elections00:32 Origins: From Political Stunt to National Legislation02:23 Debunking the Myth of Noncitizen Voting04:54 The Original 2024 Provisions: Targeting Specific Voters12:33 2026: Trump’s Strategy to Control the Midterms16:16 Fighting the DOJ for Voter Privacy in Court18:04 The Save America Act: Restricting Mail-In & Absentee Voting23:17 The Risk of Large-Scale Voter Purges via DHS26:47 Escalation: Prepared Texts and Anti-Trans Provisions32:43 How to Fight Back: Action Steps for Every Voter