Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says President Donald Trump’s call to “watch the polls” could lead to voter intimidation.
Trump asked supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully” during the televised presidential debate this week.
Merrill says it is a federal crime to make people scared to vote, and there are strict laws about who can enter a polling place.
“I’m horrified by that suggestion from a sitting president," Merrill says, "There is just no room in our election process for people trying to intimidate people, which is of course what that could lead to: false law enforcement people at our polls.”
False law enforcement, or vigilante militias who support Trump, have shown up to racial justice protests across the country.
During the same debate, Trump told a hate group known for violent outbreaks to “stand back and stand by” after he was asked to denounce white supremacy.