Trump Unleashes Plan to "Take Over" Voting, Despite Denials from GOP Leaders
In a recent podcast interview with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, President Donald Trump called on Republicans to "nationalize" elections and take control of voting in at least 15 states. While Trump's comments were quickly downplayed by White House officials, the move marks another step in his ongoing efforts to centralize federal control over election administration.
The specifics of this plan are unclear, but it signals a desire for Trump to remove election administration from state hands and impose his own vision on the process. This comes as he continues to make unsubstantiated claims about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, despite numerous investigations and court rulings that have found no evidence of such impropriety.
Trump's push for nationalized voting has been met with resistance from GOP leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senator Rand Paul. While they acknowledge the need for some federal oversight, they argue that Congress should not take over administering and running federal elections.
However, Trump's actions outside of Congress demonstrate a clear intent to expand federal control over election administration. He has already taken numerous steps in this direction, including suing at least 24 states for failing to turn over their voter registration lists and requesting data from the Department of Justice on unredacted voter rolls.
Critics argue that these moves are part of an effort to undermine faith and trust in elections by suggesting that states cannot be trusted to run their own affairs. They point out that the Constitution explicitly gives states the power to regulate and administer elections, but also reserves authority for Congress to make or alter such regulations.
Experts say that while Trump's plan is vague, it raises serious concerns about the potential for partisan manipulation and erosion of state sovereignty. As one University of Southern California law professor noted, "It really depends on what nationalizing elections entails."
The move has also sparked criticism from state election officials, who argue that Trump's comments are a thinly veiled attempt to justify federal overreach and undermine the work of local election administrators.
"We have serious concerns about how federal officials want to use private and protected voter information," said Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. "We don't think the President has any authority to do this."
As tensions around voting rights continue to escalate, it remains to be seen whether Trump's push for nationalized elections will gain traction with Congress or if he will be forced to reconsider his approach. One thing is clear: the stakes are high, and the outcome could have far-reaching implications for American democracy.
In a recent podcast interview with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, President Donald Trump called on Republicans to "nationalize" elections and take control of voting in at least 15 states. While Trump's comments were quickly downplayed by White House officials, the move marks another step in his ongoing efforts to centralize federal control over election administration.
The specifics of this plan are unclear, but it signals a desire for Trump to remove election administration from state hands and impose his own vision on the process. This comes as he continues to make unsubstantiated claims about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, despite numerous investigations and court rulings that have found no evidence of such impropriety.
Trump's push for nationalized voting has been met with resistance from GOP leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senator Rand Paul. While they acknowledge the need for some federal oversight, they argue that Congress should not take over administering and running federal elections.
However, Trump's actions outside of Congress demonstrate a clear intent to expand federal control over election administration. He has already taken numerous steps in this direction, including suing at least 24 states for failing to turn over their voter registration lists and requesting data from the Department of Justice on unredacted voter rolls.
Critics argue that these moves are part of an effort to undermine faith and trust in elections by suggesting that states cannot be trusted to run their own affairs. They point out that the Constitution explicitly gives states the power to regulate and administer elections, but also reserves authority for Congress to make or alter such regulations.
Experts say that while Trump's plan is vague, it raises serious concerns about the potential for partisan manipulation and erosion of state sovereignty. As one University of Southern California law professor noted, "It really depends on what nationalizing elections entails."
The move has also sparked criticism from state election officials, who argue that Trump's comments are a thinly veiled attempt to justify federal overreach and undermine the work of local election administrators.
"We have serious concerns about how federal officials want to use private and protected voter information," said Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. "We don't think the President has any authority to do this."
As tensions around voting rights continue to escalate, it remains to be seen whether Trump's push for nationalized elections will gain traction with Congress or if he will be forced to reconsider his approach. One thing is clear: the stakes are high, and the outcome could have far-reaching implications for American democracy.
did u know that trump wants 2 "take over" voting in at least 15 states?? 
like what even is this plan tho? he says republicans should nationalize elections but idk how that's gonna work out 
esp since GOP leaders are like "hey no thanks, bruh" 
. if trump gets to control voting, that's like, super bad news for democracy 
u dont wanna have one dude making all the decisions on who wins elections 
gotta keep it fair & transparent 
i mean, trump keeps saying there was widespread voter fraud but like... where's the proof? 
. I'm not saying the GOP is totally on board with this, but at least they're trying to keep it in check. Trump, on the other hand, seems to be going rogue and playing with fire 
. We need to keep an eye on how this all plays out because if he gets away with it, it could ruin the very fabric of our democracy 
the thing is, some ppl r saying it's about protecting against voter fraud, but come on, like, have u seen all those investigations they did and none of them found anythin'? 
we got a founding document that says so, right? 
but then again, if trump's tryin to 'nationalize' elections, what does that even mean? 
but one thing's for sure - if trump gets away with tryin to take control of our elections, we're in big trouble... 
Trump's plan to "take over" voting in 15 states is super suspicious tbh #TrumpVsDemocracy #ElectionIntegrityMatters
this is getting crazy lol, can't believe trump thinks he can just take over voting in 15 states? like what even is a nationalized election 
does anyone think he's actually considering that? his whole thing about voter fraud is getting old too, all these investigations and court rulings saying there's no evidence... meanwhile we're still dealing with the aftermath of that whole mess 
it feels like Trump's trying to pull a fast one on us again. I mean, I get that he wants to make sure everything is fair and whatnot, but taking control away from the states? That just doesn't sit right with me. What if some state gets it wrong, or someone tries to manipulate the system in their favor? It's already hard enough to trust our election process as it is 
. I mean, I get that he thinks voter fraud is a thing, but all those investigations and court rulings have shown otherwise. It's like he's just trying to undermine faith in our electoral system for no reason 
. Can't wait to see what happens next 
. What's next, him trying to control the weather? 
. he's been trying to push this agenda for years and it's getting more and more brazen. first, it was voter suppression, then it was claiming the 2020 election was rigged... now he wants to take over voting altogether? it's just plain scary. what's next? federal officials making decisions on our healthcare or education?
2nd Amendment rights aren't even mentioned here it's all about Trump wanting more control over our elections like what's next? He's already trying to get rid of voting machines and replace them with his own 
... no thanks! I'm low-key worried that if he gets away with this, other states might start following suit and we'll lose all sense of democracy. Like what's the point of having an election if our votes don't even count? 
the fact that gop leaders are actually saying no to this is a sign of some much needed spine 
. Like Trump thinks he can just nationalize voting without anyone questioning it? 
Can you imagine if that information fell into the wrong hands? 
. I mean, we already have enough problems with voter suppression and gerrymandering 
. The last thing we need is some dude who thinks he can control everything through sheer willpower 
. Like, where's the proof that this nationalized voting plan is even going to work? 
And if some states are struggling with voter registration or whatever, maybe federal help would be a good idea 
. And let's be real, we've had issues with voter fraud before 
, so maybe some extra oversight isn't the worst idea 
. I'm just saying, let's not jump to conclusions here 
and give Trump a chance to explain himself