President Donald Trump is facing backlash after he called for election voting to become “nationalized.” Given that we’re only months away from the November midterm elections, the pressure is on the Democrats and Republicans alike to secure Congressional seats this election. But Trump’s recent call is causing bipartisan dissent.
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Trump’s remarks came during his Monday (Feb. 2) appearance on Dan Bongino’s right-wing podcast; shockingly — or not so much– this wasn’t the only controversial suggestion from the president. After ranting about the “Great Replacement” theory — the conspiracy that non-white people are slowly but surely replacing white people — Trump’s attacks against immigrants quickly turned into a conversation about how to win more Republican votes.
“It’s amazing that the Republicans aren’t tougher on it. The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over, we should take over the voting in at least, many, 15 places,’” Trump said. “The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked.”
For the last 250 years, election voting has been delegated by individual states. That’s why different states have separate election laws, deadlines and voting districts. According to the president, however, this system hasn’t been working for the Republicans… so it’s time to get rid of it.
He doubled down on the sentiment on Tuesday in the Oval Office. “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,” Trump said referring to Republicans standing behind him.
This isn’t the first time Trump has flirted with gutting our election system: We all remember when Trump lost to then-President-elect Joe Biden in 2020 and declared the election was stolen. This led to the Jan 6. 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, when MAGA supporters rioted in Washington, D.C. under Trump’s orders to “stop the steal.”
Trump’s recent remarks came days after National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard arrived to the scene of the FBI’s seizure of 2020 election records in Fulton County, Ga., according to the Guardian.
David Becker, the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, told CNN, “The founders, when they drafted the Constitution, were very concerned about an unscrupulous executive trying to seize power through seizing the mechanics of an election.”
The president has a detailed history of pushing the bounds of the Constitution — whether it’s him trying to get rid of the 14th Amendment, or suggesting America “needs a dictator” and joking about running for a third term. So when the president once again rehashed plans to undermine voting processes for his own benefit, folks on both sides of the aisle quickly took notice.
Va. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said, “This is frankly about what comes next. It is deeply alarming that just yesterday, the president called for Republicans — his words — to take over and nationalize voting in multiple states.” He continued saying Trump has proven that he is a danger to American democracy, according to the Hill.
“That statement alone makes clear that this threat to our election security, the basic premise of our democracy is forward-looking to 2026 and 2028 and, candidly, to the institutions that safeguard our democracy,” Warner added.
Even Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, stood strong against the idea of nationalizing elections. He told reporters Tuesday (Feb. 3), “I’m not in favor of federalizing elections, no. I think that’s a constitutional issue.”
If Trump is serious about fundamentally transforming the election process, it would result in the rewriting of the Constitution and would need Congress’ approval. He has not confirmed his future intentions.
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