Leavitt says "I can't guarantee that an ICE agent won't be around a polling location in November"
Karoline LeavittWhite House press secretary
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answers questions about Steve Bannon's remark and ICE at polling locations at the Feb. 5, 2026 White House briefing.
Excerpt from 31:25 to 32:25 of the White House video. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: The White House. Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: Questions about Steve Bannon's remark and ICE at polling locations, about 31:43 to 32:08)
Asked at a White House briefing whether a comment by Steve Bannon that ICE would be around the polls was something the president was considering, Leavitt said, "That's not something I've ever heard the president consider, no". Asked whether she could guarantee ICE would not be around polling locations, she said she could not, and that she had not heard the president discuss any formal plans.
“That's not something I've ever heard the president consider, no. … I can't guarantee that an ICE agent won't be around a polling location in November. I mean, that's frankly a very silly hypothetical question. But what I can tell you is I haven't heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations. It's a disingenuous question.”
Original video
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should ICE and other armed federal agents be allowed at or near polling places in the 2026 election?
Since February 2026, federal officials have given differing answers about whether ICE and other armed federal agents could be at or near polling places during the November 3 election. On September 1, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE would be at a polling place only if there is a threat to it or agents are serving a warrant, and DHS told Politico that ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations but that arrests could result if an active public safety threat endangered one. On September 10, 18 and 23, 2026, LULAC and other groups, a coalition including the NAACP, and Democratic leaders and party committees sued separately in federal court in Washington. They allege that the administration's statements and actions violate 18 U.S.C. 592, Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, or both. As of September 25, the court dockets show no motion for a preliminary injunction and no answer or motion to dismiss from the federal defendants, and no court has ruled.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
White House video of the Feb. 5, 2026 press briefing. The quoted wording is our transcription of the video audio and matches a published transcript of the briefing.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Reporting
About this source
NPR's report on the LULAC and NAACP suits. It quotes a DHS statement to NPR, reports that the White House said in response to the lawsuit that it has repeatedly addressed the issue and that the president has not discussed plans for ICE to be at polling places, and includes remarks from Denver's clerk and recorder and from counsel for the plaintiffs.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
A reporter quoted Steve Bannon's February 3 comment as saying ICE would be around the polls in November and asked whether the president was considering it.
After the quotation
On September 18, NPR reported that the White House said, in response to the NAACP lawsuit, that the president has not discussed plans for ICE to be at polling places.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The fixed reference point is the administration's stated or threatened use of ICE at or near polling places. Leavitt denied hearing of any formal plan but refused to guarantee that an ICE agent would not be around a polling location. Those two positions together fit mixed or conditional better than a denial or a refusal to address the question.
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The Dispute Index. "Leavitt says "I can't guarantee that an ICE agent won't be around a polling location in November"". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2685-asked-at-a-white-house-briefing-whether-a