Trump Calls to Nationalize Elections, Prompting Criticism From Democrats

President Donald Trump has said Republicans should "nationalize" elections prompting criticism from Democratic lawmakers and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).

The Details: In a podcast interview with former FBI Deputy Director the Don Bongino, Trump reiterated his support of nationalized elections, saying that the 2020 election was stolen from him and that the federal government should "take over" in at least 15 states. Democrats said Trump's comments suggest a plan by Trump to undermine the results of upcoming midterm elections. A senior Republican campaign operative said that there did not seem to be an overarching strategy behind Trump's comments but that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is working to procure voter rolls from a number of Democratic-leaning states. Under Article 1, Section 4 of the US Constitution, known as the Election Clause, state governments oversee elections, not the federal government.

Key Quotes: "The Republicans should say, 'We want to take over — we should take over the voting — the voting in at least many, 15 places,'" Trump told Bongino. "The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting."  Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said, "Donald Trump has made it clear that he intends to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 election. He says that his one regret from 2020 was that he didn't take the voting machines."

For Context: Trump's comments came just days after the FBI searched an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, for 2020 ballots.

How the Media Covered It: Reuters (Center bias) reported that a few Republican lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, were joining Democrats in voicing their concern that Trump may intend to interfere with the November midterm elections. The Washington Times (Lean Right bias) noted that Trump alleged that some states won by former President Joe Biden in 2020 are vulnerable to fraud. The New York Times (Lean Left bias) called Trump's remarks a "remarkable escalation" in his effort to control future elections, but also said that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt walked back Trump's statements by saying he was actually referring to legislation that would "require people to prove that they are U.S. citizens" before they can register to vote. Other outlets on the right, however, said Trump was "doubling down."

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