ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive his greatest stories upon publication.

In his public statements, former President Donald Trump repeatedly made unfounded claims about the threat of widespread voting by “illegal aliens” and non-citizens in the 2024 election.

However, away from the spotlight, at least one Republican National Committee official is telling volunteer observers a completely different story: Such a vote is nearly impossible.

At a private Oct. 29 training session for Pennsylvania poll watchers, an RNC election integrity specialist told volunteers not to worry about non-citizen voting in the 2024 election, because the electoral system had safeguards in place to prevent illegal votes.

ProPublica obtained a recording of the training session. The RNC official’s comments have not been previously reported.

Watch footage from an RNC voter training session:

» LEARN MORE: If Trump loses in November, the Republican Party could blame exaggerated concerns about non-citizen voting – like Pennsylvania’s 2020 mail-in ballots

The RNC official’s assurance contradicts statements made by Trump and his Republican allies warning of “illegal aliens” voting this year who could swing the election in favor of Democratic Vice President nominee Kamala Harris.

“It’s good to see the RNC official acknowledge the truth, unlike the many lies about non-citizen voting coming from Trump and his allies,” said Rick Hasen, a professor and election law expert at the law school. from UCLA. “It would be even better if those responsible said it publicly.”

The RNC official who led the training session and an RNC spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to ProPublica that Democrats are “pushing for non-citizens to vote and influence the future of our country,” adding: “President Trump and the RNC will continue the fight to secure tomorrow’s elections so that every American vote is possible. is protected. »

Non-citizen voting is illegal under federal law and it it almost never happens. State and federal elections require voters to be U.S. citizens. Government election officials from both parties have stressed that there are protections in place across the country to prevent non-citizens from voting.

Yet that hasn’t stopped Trump and some of his most prominent supporters from baselessly claiming that noncitizens are registering and voting in large numbers this year. “DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO ‘STOCK’ VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS,” Trump published on Truth Social in September. Other prominent Trump supporters, including billionaire tech investor Elon Musk and House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, have also amplified unfounded allegations on Democrats seeking to “import” such voters.

But on the ground, Trump’s own party, at least in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, is countering these dark views of illegal voting. At the Oct. 29 training session, Joe Neild, a member of the RNC’s state election integrity team, said such a scenario was nearly impossible.

A participant in the training session asked Neild about the possibility of non-citizens voting in elections and what poll watchers could do to stop them.

Neild responded that in Pennsylvania, undocumented people cannot legally register to vote and therefore would not be included in the list of eligible voters used at polling places, known as voting registers.

Here is the exchange:

Training participant: “I have two questions. The first is: how do you know if they are illegal aliens or not, for example, when they vote, based on what you explained with the ID? And if they came from another country, it was OK as long as they had ID. How do I know if they are illegal aliens? How can you stop this?

Neild: “Well, if they’re illegal aliens, they won’t be on the poll book. Because if they are illegal aliens, they will not be able to register to vote, because they will need a driver’s license number or a social security number.

“And since recent litigation in years past, in order to get a driver’s license here in Pennsylvania, you have to show proof of citizenship. This is therefore one of the reasons why they will not be able to obtain a driving license.

“And then it has to be: since they are illegal, they will not be able to obtain a social security number either.”

Three election law experts reviewed the exchange between Neild and the intern poll observer. All said Neild’s description of the law and safeguards in place against non-citizen voting was accurate.

Adam Bonin, a Philadelphia attorney who practices election law, said Neild gave a precise description of Pennsylvania law and safeguards against non-citizen voting. Bonin said Neild’s comments were “absolutely consistent” with what Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, a Republican, said about banning non-citizen voting.

“As has been the case before, Trump has local experts on his team who know the law here in Pennsylvania and who understand the reality of how our elections work,” Bonin said.

Justin Levitt, a Loyola Law School professor and voting rights expert who worked in the Obama and Biden administrations, said he praised Neild for using fact-based information during his training session. Levitt added that he wasn’t surprised to hear Republican volunteers express fears about non-citizen voting, given Trump’s campaign rhetoric.

“There has been a very effective effort to misinform,” Levitt said. “But I’m happy that when things are going well and it’s time to really practice, they’re set straight.”

In addition to the barriers to registration highlighted by Neild, Levitt explained that there are clear incentives to discourage non-citizens from voting in U.S. elections. Criminal sanctions can include a hefty fine and prison time as well as deportation and loss of the ability to become a U.S. citizen in the future. Additionally, Levitt added, the very act of voting creates a clear and obvious paper trail, making it that much easier for law enforcement to bring criminal charges for illegal voting.

“Every time in a blue moon you see non-citizens appear on the lists,” he said. “It’s usually by mistake because it’s not worth it, and they’re going to get caught, guaranteed.”

Levitt said he only wants the factual information provided by the RNC at the local level to also reach the party’s presidential nominee. “It seems like the former president should attend some sessions with the people who are training his poll watchers,” Levitt said.