Wednesday, February 4, 2026-President Donald Trump has sharply escalated his rhetoric around the U.S. election administration, urging Republicans to “nationalize” elections by taking control of voting processes in at least 15 states.
Speaking on a conservative podcast, Trump argued that GOP leaders should “take over the voting” in states he claims are corrupt and mishandle election results. His remarks represent a major shift from long-standing Republican support for state-run elections and immediately reignited national debate over federal authority in voting.
Trump framed the push as urgent with the 2026 midterm elections approaching, claiming federal intervention is necessary to protect election integrity. He repeated assertions that undocumented immigrants are influencing election outcomes and accused certain states and cities of dishonest vote counting, despite experts consistently stating there is no evidence to support those claims.
Trump tied his call for nationalized elections to Republican-backed proposals such as stricter voter registration requirements, presenting them as essential safeguards.
The response was swift and divisive. Several prominent Republicans publicly rejected the idea, emphasizing that the Constitution assigns primary responsibility for elections to the states.
Democrats condemned the proposal as unconstitutional and dangerous, warning it would undermine democratic norms and concentrate power at the federal level. As both parties gear up for critical elections, Trump’s remarks have intensified an already volatile debate over who controls the ballot and how far federal power should reach.
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