Fact-check analysisVerified as of July 30, 2025Curated by FactVerify
True

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had this response to the Trump DOJ’s request for the state’s voter information data: “Go jump in the Gulf of Maine.”

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows did respond to the Trump DOJ’s request for voter information data with the phrase, 'Go jump in the Gulf of Maine.'

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows Rejects Trump’s Justice Department Request for Maine Voter Information - SOS

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows Rejects Trump’s Justice Department Request for Maine Voter Information - SOS

Source: maine.gov

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified July 30, 2025
  • Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows publicly stated 'Go jump in the Gulf of Maine' in response to the DOJ's request for voter data, as reported by Democracy Docket, Maine. Gov official site, Maine Morning Star, and other reputable news organizations. Her office explicitly rejected the DOJ's request citing constitutional concerns and privacy protections.

The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

Multiple credible sources confirm that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows publicly rejected the Trump administration's Department of Justice request for sensitive voter information from the state. She used the phrase 'Go jump in the Gulf of Maine' as a blunt and defiant response to the request. This statement was widely reported by reputable news outlets and official state communications, indicating that it is an accurate representation of her response.

The context of her statement was to assert that the DOJ's request overstepped constitutional authority and that Maine would not comply with handing over personal voter data. The consistency across various independent news sources and the official Maine Secretary of State website supports the truthfulness of this claim.

Primary trail

Verified Sources10

Maine Sec. of State to Trump DOJ: ‘Go Jump in the Gulf of Maine’

democracydocket.com
Open source

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows Rejects Trump’s Justice Department Request for...

maine.gov
Open source

Trump administration requested voter data. Secretary Bellows says, ‘Go jump in...

mainemorningstar.com
Open source
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