Former President Donald Trump has intensified rhetoric about federal control over elections, suggesting Republicans take over voting processes in at least 15 states amid concerns over the 2026 midterms. This follows the Department of Justice's seizure of 2020 voting records in Fulton County, Georgia, seen by critics as a potential dry run for broader interference. Experts warn these moves signal a slide toward dictatorship by undermining state authority over elections.
In a recent podcast interview with former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino, Donald Trump urged Republicans to 'take over' voting procedures in at least 15 states, stating, 'The Republicans should say, “We want to take over,” We should take over the voting, the voting in at least many—15 states. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.' Such proposals conflict with the U.S. Constitution, which assigns election administration to the states, prompting criticism from even some GOP leaders like Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who said, 'I’m not in favor of federalizing elections,' and Senator Rand Paul, who noted, 'That’s not what the Constitution says about elections.'
The comments come amid the Department of Justice's seizure of 2020 Fulton County, Georgia, voting records and ballots, a site where Trump lost by more than 11,000 votes despite his false claims of victory. Voting rights attorney Marc Elias described the action as 'in part a dry run to work out the logistics of how this could happen in the future,' involving Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and followed by Trump using her phone to thank federal agents. Reports indicate a grand jury is investigating the county's election process, with Trump suggesting in Davos on January 21 that 'People will soon be prosecuted for what they did' regarding the 2020 election, which he repeatedly calls rigged.
Trump's spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, claimed the remarks referred only to the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, but Trump clarified broader intent, saying, 'I want to see elections be honest, and if a state can’t run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it.' House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed unsubstantiated fraud allegations, noting three Republican candidates who lost leads after new ballots arrived, though he admitted, 'Can I prove that? No.'
Broader actions include lawsuits against states like Minnesota for voter rolls and Steve Bannon's podcast suggestion that ICE surround polls to prevent 'stolen' elections. Analyst Robert Kagan warned on NPR that these steps, including ICE operations in Minneapolis to intimidate nonwhite voters, indicate Trump intends to disrupt the 2026 midterms to block Democratic gains, potentially invoking the Insurrection Act. Democrats are preparing for federal interference, while critics like Elias urge taking Trump's threats 'seriously and literally.' These developments signal GOP anxiety over midterm prospects, with Trump also proposing to ban mail-in voting and decertify equipment.
