Voting rights activists expressed immediate concern this week after President Trump signed an executive order to establish a “Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.” Most alarming was the inclusion of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who will serve as the committee’s vice chair. Kobach has a history of pushing for intense voter identification legislation, and voting rights advocates worry his inclusion will accelerate voter suppression.

In a new interview on Democracy Now!, journalist Ari Berman discusses the commission and its potential effects with Amy Goodman. Berman, who recently wrote a piece for The Nation analyzing the commission, tells Goodman that the newly created group is actually “a voter suppression commission.”

Noting that the commission stems from Trump’s continued claims of a “rigged” election, Berman says that Trump’s creation of the commission is “absolutely chilling.”

“Voter fraud is something that plays to Trump’s base,” Berman says. “This is something that Trump always dusts off when there’s some sort of controversy.”

Watch Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview below:

—Posted by Emma Niles

Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface.  We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig