Longtime CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer had to do a little bit of on-air cleaning up Monday to correct some sloppy reporting he had done about President Trump's new rules for the United State Postal Service (USPS) regarding mail-in voting ballots.
During an interview last Friday with Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), Blitzer falsely claimed that the new rules would prevent military troops serving overseas from voting – a falsehood Spanberger was more than happy to run with.
His troubles began when Spanberger, who was appearing on The Situation Room, started to complain about the Trump administration's efforts to tighten the policies and procedures surrounding mail-in ballots ahead of November's midterm elections.
She basically accused the administration of trying to scare Americans away from voting:
"The continued attacks that we're seeing from the Trump administration is really just an effort to get people fearful, to get people to stay home, and, in many cases, to eliminate what is a valid, safe, secure way for people to be able to have their voices heard and to vote."
That's when ace journalist Blitzer jumped in with what sounded like a pretty serious consequence of Trump's order: service members, he said, especially those stationed overseas, could effectively be disenfranchised because they depend on the mail to cast absentee ballots. Spanberger immediately agreed – "True!" – and reinforced the lie by referring to Americans "serving our country, particularly those overseas."
Just one problem here: none of it is true.
Blitzer had to pull a Jen Psaki and circle back to that assertion, issuing what he called a "quick note of clarification," and going on to explain that ballots from military personnel and other Americans living overseas are exempt from the Postal Service rules at issue.
"I want to be clear right now: Those ballots are exempt from the Postal Service's new rules implementing the president's March executive order," Blitzer told the viewers.
CNN's Blitzer makes mea culpa over false remark about Trump's order on mail-in voting https://t.co/tIlbrOPV5G pic.twitter.com/eUHNMy3th0
— New York Post (@nypost) September 1, 2026
There's this thing called the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), and it's the federal law that protects absentee voting access for members of the military, their families, and every other eligible American who's living abroad.
In other words, the very people Blitzer and Spanberger held up as examples of voters who would be harmed by Trump's changes aren't actually subjected to those rules.
Whoops. Clean up on aisle CNN.
Meanwhile, Spanberger is running full steam ahead with a lawsuit challenging Trump's March executive order, arguing that the federal government is stepping on the ability of states to run their own elections.
The disputed USPS rules include new ballot-envelope standards, unique mail barcodes, and voter-list requirements. A federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked the rules last week, and the administration is now appealing.
With the midterms just two months away, expect the lies, distortions, and breathless scare stories to start flying faster and more furiously.
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
Help us continue to expose their left-wing bias by reading news you can trust. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.