One day after the reality of a federal lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice landed on his doorstep, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is lashing out at critics who say he disenfranchised voters by removing thousands of voters from the state’s voter rolls.

Appearing opposite Jake Tapper on CNN, the first-term Republican governor explained that his executive order to purge illegal aliens registered to vote is merely his exercising of a law that has been on the books since 2006. “That was a law that was signed by then-Democrat Governor Tim Kaine,” Youngkin said. “And it requires our election process and governors to use RMV data when an individual self-identifies as a noncitizen. And there is a match with that person on the voter rolls to then notify that person that they have 14 days to affirm that they’re a citizen or not. And if they’re not they’re removed.”

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A skeptical Tapper looked on without an attempt at a rebuttal as Youngkin continued. “The big question I have is, given the constitutionality of what I just described, both at the federal level and at the state level… that not only require me to do this but are focused on individual steps that start with someone identifying as a noncitizen: why is it that anyone can argue that a process that removes noncitizens off of our voter rolls is anything other than common sense and constitutional.”

WATCH:

We shouldn’t allow individuals who have self-identified as noncitizens to remain on the voter rolls. It’s not just common sense, it’s Virginia law. pic.twitter.com/yNEZcRG6hl

— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) October 14, 2024

Gov. Youngkin’s argument was furthered by former President Donald Trump who posted on Truth Social that the Biden administration is suing the state of Virginia in order to interfere with the election. “One of the Greatest Examples of DOJ Weaponization is the fact that they are suing Virginia to put ALL of the Illegal Voters, which were fully exposed and removed by the important work of Governor Glenn Youngkin, back on the Voter Rolls. Obviously, this was done so that they can CHEAT on the Election,” Trump wrote.

The DOJ’s lawsuit alleged Gov. Youngkin, in following state law, violated the National Voter Registration Act, or NVRA, which requires additions or subtractions to a state’s voter rolls within 90 days of an election, according to CBS. Election experts told the outlet that the measure allows voters removed from the rolls to have additional time to appeal before Election Day. The DOJ is also suing Alabama for similar voter purges. “Governor Youngkin is correct that the Justice Department needing to sue a state like his so close to an election is ‘unprecedented,’ but that’s because no state has sought to violate this law before this year,” said David Becker, executive director of the Center of Election Innovation and Research and CBS News election law contributor.

While most mainstream media outlets argue that instances of voter fraud are rare, President Trump and fellow Republicans have made hay about several high-profile instances in swing states. In Arizona, where Trump is leading Vice President Kamala Harris by less than 2%, more than 100,000 voters were sent the incorrect ballots, and state election officials can’t rule out the possibility that noncitizens will be able to vote this year.

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