Trump intimidation tactics failing as election workers stand defiant and proud

THEY CAN'T EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT COUNTRY THEY ARE IN PRACTICALLY AND THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET THEM TO VOTE AND THAT IS WHY THEY ARE ALLOWING THEM TO COME INTO OUR COUNTRY. >> DONALD TRUMP'S LIES ABOUT FRAUDULENT ELECTIONS ARE HAVING AN IMPACT. ONE IN SIX ELECTION WORKERS RECEIVED THREATS OF VIOLENCE AFTER THE 2020 ELECTION. JOINING ME NOW IS MICHIGAN SECRETARY OF STATE JOCELYN BENSON, WHO TESTIFIED TODAY BEFORE CONGRESS ABOUT THE THREATS AHEAD OF THE ELECTION. SECRETARY BENSON, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF DANGEROUS THINGS DONALD TRUMP HAS SAID IN RECENT DAYS AND WEEKS AND YEARS, BUT HIS LIES LAST NIGHT ABOUT ILLEGAL, UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS COMING IN AND A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GET THEM TO VOTE FRAUDULENTLY, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU HEARD HIM SAY THAT? >> WELL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME, ALEX. IT WAS A GUT PUNCH BECAUSE IT WAS NOT TRUE. ONLY U.S. CITIZENS CAN VOTE IN OUR ELECTIONS. WHAT THIS TYPE OF RHETORIC IS DESIGNED TO DO IS ONE, CREATE FEAR AND STOKE FEAR OBVIOUSLY AND DIVISION, BUT SECONDLY ALSO PLANT SEEDS OF DOUBT IN THE MINDS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS THAT OUR ELECTIONS ARE ANYTHING OTHER THAN SECURE AND ACCURATE, WHICH THEY ARE, AND ALSO TO SET THE STAGE TO CHALLENGE AND OVERTURN LEGITIMATE, FAIR, AND ACCURATE ELECTION RESULTS, SHOULD HE BE UNHAPPY WITH THEM IN NOVEMBER. IT IS REALLY A HARBINGER OF WHAT'S TO COME IN THE WEEKS AHEAD AND REALLY, IN MY VIEW, A SIGNAL THAT WE ALL HAVE TO BUCKLE UP AND TRY TO RISE ABOVE THE NOISE AND FOCUS ON THE FACTS WHICH IS THAT ONLY U.S. CITIZENS CAN VOTE IN OUR ELECTIONS. >> IT IS HARDLY WITHOUT PARALLEL. HE'S BEEN SAYING STUFF IN RECENT DAYS THAT SHOULD BE RINGING ALARM. THERE IS A TRUTH SOCIAL POSTTREATMENT THAT SAID THERE WAS RAMPANT CHEATING IN THE 2020 ELECTION AND INDIVIDUALS WHO CHEATED WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING ELECTION OFFICIALS. THE THREATS ARE TWOFOLD. THE THREATS AGAINST UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS, WHICH IS PART OF HIS IMMIGRATION PORTFOLIO. THERE IS THE THREAT TO THOSE WHO CARRY OUT ELECTIONS, ELECTION WORKERS, AND THOSE WHO CERTIFY THEM, ELECTIONS OFFICIALS. FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT, HOW MUCH OF A CHILLING EFFECT IS THIS HAVING ON THE RECRUITMENT OF PEOPLE TO WORK THE POLLS AND ALSO THOSE WHO ARE TASKED WITH, YOU KNOW, CERTIFYING THE ELECTIONS AND MAKING SURE STATE ELECTIONS RUN CORRECTLY? >> IT IS HAVING TO EFFECTS. ONE, THERE ARE PEOPLE THROWING UP THEIR HANDS AND SING IT IS NOT WORTH IT. I WANT TO STAY HOME AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WHERE I WANT TO PUT MY FAMILY'S LIFE IN JEOPARDY, SIMPLY TO PROTECT THEIR ELECTION RESULTS. BUT ACTUALLY THE VAST MAJORITY OF ELECTION OFFICIALS IN MICHIGAN AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE SEEN THIS ALSO AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DOUBLE DOWN ON OUR COMMITMENT TO BEING PROFESSIONAL, BIPARTISAN AND ENSURING TRANSPARENT AND SECURE ELECTIONS CONTINUE TO BE THE RULE OF THE LAND. WE HAVE ALSO SEEN AN EMBOLDENING OF ELECTION OFFICIALS WHO, YES, THESE ARE THREATS AND THREATS DESIGNED TO INTIMIDATE US OUT OF DOING OUR DUTY AND JOBS AS ELECTION OFFICIALS, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF US STEPPED INTO THE FRAY KNOWING THAT AFTER 2020 THIS IS WHAT WE ARE SIGNING UP FOR AND WE ARE READY, WE ARE READY TO STAND GUARD AND REFUSED TO BE INTIMIDATED. WE WON'T BACK DOWN AND WE WILL PROTECT EVERY VOICE, EVERY VOTE, REGARDLESS OF WHO THE VOTE IS CAST FOR BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN DEMOCRACY AND BELIEVE ANYONE RUNNING FOR OFFICE IN THIS COUNTRY SHOULD SIMILARLY BELIEVE IN THE TRUTH AND FACTS AND STAND WITH THEM INSTEAD OF THREATENING THEM. >> FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU PERSONALLY HAVE FACED AND ARE FACING, YOUR HOUSE HAS BEEN SWATTED. YOU HAVE RECEIVED DEATH THREATS. THERE IS A MICHIGAN LAWMAKER WHO SAID YOU DEFINITIVELY WILL BE PROSECUTED IF DONALD TRUMP WINS IN 2024. THAT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF TENACITY AND RESILIENCE DEMANDED OF YOU AND ANYONE ELSE IN YOUR POSITION. HOW DO YOU GRAPPLE WITH THAT? IT IS NOT JUST YOU, IT IS ALSO YOUR FAMILY AND PEOPLE AROUND YOU. >> IT IS ALARMING AND CHILLING, FRANKLY, TO KNOW THAT THESE POWERFUL INDIVIDUALS WITH GREAT MEGAPHONES WOULD USE THE PLATFORM, HIS AMBITIONS, TO TRY TO THREATEN US FOR DOING OUR JOBS. AND WHEN I STARTED MY CAREER INVESTIGATING EXTREMIST GROUPS AND EXTREME LEADERS AND WE KNOW THAT THAT VIOLENT RHETORIC OFTEN DOES RESULT IN THREATS OF VIOLENCE WERE WORSE AGAINST PEOPLE WHO ARE THE TARGETS. SO WE REALIZE THE CHALLENGING MOMENT WE ARE IN, BUT WE ALSO REALIZE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. THESE ARE NOT THREATS TO US, THEY ARE THREATS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THREATS TO THE WILL OF THE VOTERS AND OUR DEMOCRACY ITSELF AND I AM PROUD TO STAND IN THE BREACH EVERY DAY. I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES ARE AS WELL BECAUSE WE EMBRACE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THAT PROMISE OF FEAR ELECTIONS FOR OUR COUNTRY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DEFEND RESULTS OF THE ELECTIONS, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE THIS FALL. THAT IS OUR MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT. YOU CAN COME AT US WITH ALL THE THREATS YOU WANT AND IT DOES CREATE A HARROWING ENVIRONMENT FOR US TO WORK THROUGH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE WILL NOT BE DETERRED FROM DOING OUR JOB TO PROTECT THE