False rumor about illegal voter registration

FORT WORTH – The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Fox News personality Maria Bartiromo caused a stir when she posted on social media Sunday that Democrats were registering immigrants to vote at several sites in Fort Worth and Weatherford. “From a friend …,” the post on X begins. “Friend of mine’s wife had to take her 16 yr old son to the DMV this week for a new license. Couldn’t get an online appointment(all full) so went in person and had to go to 3 DMV’s to get something done. First DMV was in Weatherford. Had a massive line of immigrants getting licenses and had a tent and table outside the front door of the DMV registering them to vote!” The post goes on to claim that the friend’s wife (or friend of a friend’s wife — it’s unclear) saw the same thing occurring at two Department of Motor Vehicles locations in Fort Worth. It does not specify when the alleged registration activities occurred.

While Bartiromo herself did not say the word “illegal,” her followers did not hesitate to make that assumption. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “Why are Democrats setting up voter registration tables outside DMV’s and registering illegal immigrants to vote?!,” said a person whose account is named Mary M33. “This is happening in Tarrant County and you can bet it’s happening across the state.” Several other commenters took Bartiromo to mean noncitizens, as well. But, is there any truth behind the claim? Bartiromo’s statement was “simply false,” according to Sgt. William Lockridge, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Contrary to Bartiromo’s friend’s wife’s account, there is no office for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in Weatherford. Folks there get their licenses at a DPS Driver License office. Still, no such tent and table were set up outside the office last week. “None of it is true,” Lockridge said, adding that the assumption that non-white Texans lined up to get their driver licenses are immigrants or illegal is “kind of racist.” “Just because these people aren’t white, that doesn’t mean they’re illegal,” he said. There was a table set outside the DPS Driver License office in Lake Worth on Friday, Lockridge said, but not at the other two sites mentioned in Bartiromo’s post. The Tarrant County Democratic Party did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French replied to Bartilomo’s post suggesting she invite him onto her show “to discuss.”