Trump urges Republicans to “nationalize” voting in 15 areas, escalating attacks on the electoral system ahead of the midterms.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on the US electoral system, calling for Republicans to “nationalize” voting in at least 15 areas ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
In an interview this week, Trump suggested taking responsibility for organising elections away from some states and handing it to the federal government. He told podcaster Dan Bongino that Republicans “ought to nationalize the voting”.
His comments were swiftly condemned by Democrats and legal experts. Constitutional law professor Justin Levitt stated there is “no debate” about the system, as the Constitution clearly assigns states the responsibility for running elections.
Trump has repeatedly made false claims about widespread voter fraud since his 2020 election defeat. He told reporters he did not know why the federal government does not handle elections and alleged some areas of the country are “extremely corrupt”.
The former president told NBC News that if elections “can’t be done properly and timely, then something else has to happen”. He remains convinced the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him, despite courts confirming its legitimacy.
Legal experts warn Trump’s actions are part of a strategy to cast doubt on upcoming elections. UCLA law professor Rick Hasen suggested he may try to use the federal government to interfere in how states run elections in 2026.
The Justice Department has filed lawsuits in about 20 states to try to recover voting records. Trump’s administration has also falsely claimed undocumented migrants are illegally voting on a large scale.
In January, the FBI seized hundreds of boxes of ballots in Georgia as part of a probe into Trump’s 2020 election loss in the state. The raid was unusually carried out under the watch of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Some of Trump’s supporters have suggested extreme measures for the November election. Former aide Steve Bannon said “we’re going to have ICE surround the polls” to prevent what he claims would be theft.
Civil rights group the NAACP accused Trump’s administration of “deplorable and unconstitutional antics”. They warned these actions aim to exhaust the nation so people will “grow tired and concede”.
Trump faces the prospect of a third impeachment if Republicans lose control of Congress in November. Polls show low approval ratings for the second-term president as his party has suffered a string of losses in local elections.
