Arkansas
Two Narratives, One Ballot Box: Trump’s Concerns and Arkansas’ Response
President Trump used his address to the nation Thursday night to revive a debate that has defined American politics for years: Can voters trust the election system?
The president again raised concerns about election security and the threat of foreign interference, reigniting questions that continue to divide Americans. But in Arkansas, the officials charged with protecting the ballot box say the state’s election system is built to withstand those threats.
That leaves voters confronting a question that feels as relevant now as ever: Who do Arkansans believe?
“The president’s message resonates with many people who remain skeptical of the electoral process,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said. But Griffin argues that concern and confidence are not mutually exclusive.
“Well, I think you can believe all of it at once,” Griffin said.
For Griffin, election security is not a problem that can be solved once and forgotten. It is, instead, an ongoing challenge—one that evolves alongside technology and the tactics of foreign adversaries.
“It’s a constant battle, and the fight evolves, and we’ve got to keep up,” Griffin said.
That means staying ahead of emerging threats and maintaining public awareness, he added.
“We’ve got to keep up with it technologically, and that means keeping our awareness high,” Griffin said. “I think it’s a good thing for everybody to just say, ‘Hey, this is something that needs to be on our radar, and when our elected officials talk about it.’”
Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester points to what he considers the state’s strongest defense: voting systems that are disconnected from the internet and backed by paper records.
“They are never connected to the internet,” Jester said. “They are always audited based off of a paper audit trail and that we do testing constantly to make sure they work and work perfectly.”
The issue of foreign interference—particularly concerns involving China—has increasingly dominated the national conversation surrounding election security. But Arkansas lawmakers say years of audits and recounts have produced no evidence that foreign actors have altered election outcomes in the state.
“With all the audits that we’ve done, with all the recounts that have been called for, nothing has indicated that China has meddled in our elections,” Senator Kim Hammer said. “So people can feel safe and secure when they go to vote.”
For voters, the question of trust remains.
On one side is the president, urging Americans to stay vigilant. On the other are state officials insisting the safeguards are already in place.
The debate is no longer just about voting machines, audits or foreign governments. It is about trust—and whether, in an era of political division, trust itself has become the hardest thing to secure.
Arkansas
Video of Arkansas trooper punching 18-year-old during traffic stop draws calls for investigation
Newly released footage of an officer tackling an 18-year-old Black woman to the ground and punching her in the head after a traffic stop in Arkansas is causing anger and demands for a use-of-force investigation.
Alisa Hackett, of Osceola, Arkansas, was pulled over on State Highway 18 near Manila at about 10:45 p.m. on Aug. 1 after she was seen driving 71 mph in a 60-mph zone with the vehicle’s hazard lights on, according to an Arkansas State Police report of the incident.
When she was pulled over, Hackett told state trooper Moisses Arellano she was rushing home because her car’s window had broken, according to the police report.
Arellano noted that Hackett was not wearing her seat belt, had her license plate covered and had a cold bottle of liquor in the front seat, according to the police report. In the dashcam footage, Arellano can be heard saying, “Why do you have a Tito’s bottle, you’re not even 21?” Later in the footage, Arellano acknowledges the bottle was sealed.
Arellano described Hackett as “being difficult” when he issued her citations, according to the report. He then called another trooper who said Hackett had been pulled over for speeding “a few days earlier” and had an open alcohol container in her vehicle, but was let go with a warning.
The other trooper is heard in the footage telling Arellano, “Well, she got an attitude, take her ass to jail.”
Arellano then decided to arrest Hackett, who is 5-foot-1 and 118 pounds, and asked her to step out of the car, according to the report. After initially complying, “she began turning around and repeatedly asked what she had done,” the police report said, adding she continued to pull away from the officer and he “took her to the ground.”
“After giving multiple commands for her to roll over without compliance, I delivered one closed-fist strike to the left side of her face in an attempt to gain compliance,” Arellano wrote in the report. “After the strike, she continued resisting by pulling her wrists away and refusing to roll over.”
He pointed a stun gun at her midsection, but did not fire, and she then complied in putting her hands behind her back and she was arrested, the report said.
In the video, Hackett can be heard saying, “You cannot punch me in my face.” Arellano responds, “Who said? Who says?” and then “Who said I can’t punch you in your face?”
As he was taking her to the back of his patrol car, Hackett began yelling “Help me” and “Call my momma” to passing motorists, Arellano wrote.
When she was in the back seat of the police car, Arellano can be heard saying, “If you resist, I can punch you, I can read you the policy.”
Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement Monday he wanted Arkansas State Police to open a use-of-force investigation through its Office of Professional Standards, make it public and release any previous use-of-force reports related to Arellano.
“This trooper slammed an 18-year-old girl to the ground and punched her in the face. He wrote it down himself: a closed fist, because she would not roll onto her stomach,” Crump said in a statement. “Alisa asked him what she had done, and the video shows what she got for asking.”
“Arkansas State Police have to explain to the public how that is a reasonable response to a teenager at a traffic stop,” Crump continued. “If you cannot handle a teenage girl without taking her to the ground, cursing at her, and punching her in the face, you should not be wearing a badge.”
Hackett was arrested for refusal to submit to arrest, possession of alcohol by a minor, speeding, not wearing a seat belt, improper display of license tags and an offense for improper headlights.
Attorney Luther Sutter filed a civil rights lawsuit against Arellano on Hackett’s behalf Monday alleging excessive force. However, Sutter said he received a letter from Hackett saying she was switching her representation to Crump, according to local news outlet NEA Report.
In response to a request for comment, the Arkansas Department of Public Safety said, “Our long-held practice is not to comment on matters that are pending litigation.”
The department did not answer whether Arellano is still on active duty.
Founded in 1901, the Travs are one of the longest-running franchises in Minor League Baseball. The club has been the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners since 2017 and has played its home games at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock since the ballpark opened in 2007.
Issues with sinkholes in the outfield led to a dispute between the city and club over which side was responsible for the cost of repairs.
Recent investments at Dickey-Stephens include a new LED video board, LED lighting and an indoor batting cage.
“This agreement is a commitment to the Travelers, to North Little Rock and to the generations of fans who have made this franchise such an important part of central Arkansas,” said Pat Battle and Peter Freund, executive chairman and CEO of Diamond Baseball Holdings, respectively, in a joint statement. “When we acquired the Travelers, we were entrusted with one of the great traditions in Minor League Baseball, and we knew that honoring that tradition meant investing in its future. We are grateful to the city of North Little Rock for its partnership and look forward to building an even stronger future together for the Travelers and the entire community.”
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