Sherrill accuses Trump of trying to ‘steal the election,’ refuses voter-roll request

Gov. Mikie Sherrill accused President Donald Trump of using federal law-enforcement agencies to pursue baseless voter-fraud claims and undermine an election he knows he cannot win during an appearance Wednesday on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront.

Burnett asked Sherrill about reports that federal agents who typically investigate human trafficking and terrorism were being reassigned to focus on voter fraud. Sherrill said Trump’s declining poll numbers and unpopular policies had made him increasingly desperate.

Sherrill said the administration had requested New Jersey’s voter rolls, but she refused to provide them. She defended her decision to publicly disclose that approximately 6,600 noncitizens had been improperly registered to vote through a Motor Vehicle Commission computer error, and that more than 300 later voted.

“What the people of New Jersey want to see is a transparent, accountable government,” Sherrill said, contrasting the state’s response with what she called Trump’s “spurious claims” and lack of evidence.

She pledged that New Jersey would hold a safe, fair election and provide voters with information they could trust.

The former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot also criticized Trump’s approach to the military, saying he “despises military service” and pointing to his use of medical deferments during the Vietnam War.  She called Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “completely unqualified” and cited the removal of approximately 10 percent of the military’s flag-rank admirals and generals.

Sherrill warned that losing experienced military leadership would create problems for years because senior officers cannot simply be replaced by outsiders.

Later, Burnett asked Sherrill about a new $1 coin featuring Trump, issued as part of the nation’s 250th-birthday celebration, and Trump’s recent social-media post ranking himself as the greatest president.

“The president continues to make a mockery of his office and of the trust that is placed in him,” Sherrill said.