President Trump is calling on Republican lawmakers to "nationalize" elections, a move that could give the federal government more control over voting processes. The president's call for nationalization comes as he continues to claim widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, which he won by a significant margin.
In a recent podcast episode with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Trump suggested that Republicans should take over the voting process in at least 15 states, saying "We wanna take over. We should take over the voting." However, it's unclear what specific steps he would propose to achieve this goal.
The White House has attempted to distance itself from Trump's comments, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt redirecting his call for nationalization towards a stalled voter ID law. Leavitt stated that the president is committed to signing into law the SAVE Act, which aims to improve election security and reduce voter fraud.
However, critics argue that Trump's comments on nationalizing elections are vague and could potentially lead to partisan control over voting processes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Sen. Rand Paul have both expressed opposition to Congress taking steps to nationalize voting, citing concerns about the constitutionality of such actions.
The federal government has already taken significant steps towards strengthening its involvement in elections, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's lawsuit against at least 24 states for failing to turn over voter registration lists. The Department of Justice has also requested data from 44 states on unredacted voter rolls, a move that some have criticized as an attempt to "fishing expedition" and undermine faith in elections.
State election officials have pushed back against these efforts, arguing that they threaten the decentralization and transparency of voting processes. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs stated that the president's comments are "contrary to the protected rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution," while Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Utah Republican, expressed concern that Bondi's public statements have "slantered" her fellow secretaries of state.
As tensions between the federal government and states on election issues continue to escalate, it remains unclear what specific steps Trump would propose to nationalize elections, if at all.
In a recent podcast episode with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Trump suggested that Republicans should take over the voting process in at least 15 states, saying "We wanna take over. We should take over the voting." However, it's unclear what specific steps he would propose to achieve this goal.
The White House has attempted to distance itself from Trump's comments, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt redirecting his call for nationalization towards a stalled voter ID law. Leavitt stated that the president is committed to signing into law the SAVE Act, which aims to improve election security and reduce voter fraud.
However, critics argue that Trump's comments on nationalizing elections are vague and could potentially lead to partisan control over voting processes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Sen. Rand Paul have both expressed opposition to Congress taking steps to nationalize voting, citing concerns about the constitutionality of such actions.
The federal government has already taken significant steps towards strengthening its involvement in elections, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's lawsuit against at least 24 states for failing to turn over voter registration lists. The Department of Justice has also requested data from 44 states on unredacted voter rolls, a move that some have criticized as an attempt to "fishing expedition" and undermine faith in elections.
State election officials have pushed back against these efforts, arguing that they threaten the decentralization and transparency of voting processes. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs stated that the president's comments are "contrary to the protected rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution," while Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Utah Republican, expressed concern that Bondi's public statements have "slantered" her fellow secretaries of state.
As tensions between the federal government and states on election issues continue to escalate, it remains unclear what specific steps Trump would propose to nationalize elections, if at all.
Trump's always been vocal about voter fraud, but now he wants the government to take over? That's a slippery slope 
I mean, I get it, election security is important, but can't we just stick to bipartisan efforts? 
It feels like he's trying to bypass Congress and control the process himself. I'd rather see some concrete plans from him or at least some bipartisan backing on this. 
Let's keep voting free and fair, not controlled by the government 
I'm getting some major vibes from this whole thing... like, what's going on with our democracy? 
President Trump wants to take over the voting process in like 15 states and give the federal government even more control. But here's the thing, how can we trust that it's not just another ploy to silence certain voices or manipulate the system? 
And what about all these lawsuits from the Department of Justice that are kinda making us question the integrity of our elections? 
. I'm all for keeping states in charge of their own elections, that way we can ensure the system is fair and transparent 
. Trump's comments are super vague though... was he actually serious about taking over 15 states? 
. I think it's just another example of Trump trying to manipulate the system to his advantage 
. The White House is just trying to spin this as some sort of voter ID law, but I'm not buying it 
.
like whoa trump is trying to take control of our elections and that's like super scary 
i get that he thinks there was voter fraud in 2020 but like come on man how can he just propose nationalization without a clear plan 
what if the states don't want the feds controlling their elections? isn't decentralization and transparency part of our democracy 
i hope congress is paying attention to this because we need to protect our right to vote 
It seems like President Trump's just trying to spin the 2020 election results again, and now he's got Republicans on board with that. I don't think this is about improving election security at all... it's about them pulling strings behind the scenes. 
. We need to keep supporting them and making sure our voices are heard on this issue. We can't let the federal government take away our right to vote without a fight 
... We gotta make sure we're protectin' those rights, not takin' 'em away. This whole thing is just makin' me nervous 
like he's trying 2 manipulate the voting process 4 his own gainz. newsflash: voters in individual states should b able 2 make their own decisions w/o the fedgov getting involved 
i don't trust him 2 much. state election officials r already dealing w/ enough red tape & bureaucracy without the feds trying 2 take over 
and its so confusing how do i even charge it? 
. I'm all about making voting easier and more efficient, too... as long as it's not controlled by some shady politician trying to screw us over