For all the hot air expended over concerns about foreign interference in elections, the reality is that the threat to democracy is small.
While the president and his allies have largely focused attention on Russia, the threat posed by digital interlopers is far broader than a single country. And while Russia may have helped fuel a flood of misinformation, the vast majority of it was produced by domestic actors—from parties that exploited voters and supporters with false, shocking, negative, or exaggerated content to social media sites that allowed trolls to manipulate discussions.
These kinds of threats have long plagued elections, but digital tools allow them to be perpetrated more quickly and at a lower cost than in the past. And the ability of individuals to share information about the election process, including voter files and other personal data, makes it harder for federal officials to protect against interference.
The risk is that, if the Trump administration continues its pattern of encouraging partisan and racial attacks against democratic institutions, it could lead to more electoral interference in 2026, including efforts to tamper with the balloting system, to discredit government agencies, and to polarize voters through fanciful narratives that invoke white supremacy.
In addition to these threats, the administration is also using its law enforcement authority to intimidate voters and those who support them, whether by investigating alleged vote fraud, attacking journalists, or pressuring state officials to conduct unwarranted purges of voter rolls. These types of activities violate the Constitution, which empowers Congress and the states to set rules for elections.