Washington—Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement in reaction to President Trump’s claims regarding voter fraud:

“President Trump’s false claim that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election is absolute nonsense. There is simply no evidence of widespread voter fraud in this country. Period.

“It’s important that we not lose sight of the context in which President Trump has aired his conspiracy theories. There has been a sustained effort across the country—rooted in similar conspiracies about voter fraud—to make it harder for Americans to vote.

“The Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder struck down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which required states and communities with a history of discrimination to get approval from the Justice Department before changing their voting laws.

“Without Section 5, a series of laws making it harder to vote were soon enacted. These discriminatory laws were justified using the same false claims about voter fraud now being pushed by President Trump.

“The effect of these laws is crystal clear: In many states across the country it’s harder for African-Americans, Latinos, the elderly and low-income Americans to vote.

“We can’t allow this attack on voting right to continue, and it’s shameful to see such debunked conspiracy theories emanating from the White House.”