Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday made a forceful appeal to Republican lawmakers to “nationalize” voting procedures in as many as 15 jurisdictions across the country, framing it as critical to securing election integrity ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Trump repeated unsubstantiated claims about widespread voter fraud and suggested a more centralized role for his party in administering elections — a proposal that has stirred both political support and sharp constitutional criticism.
Trump’s Call to Centralize Voting Control
Speaking on a podcast hosted by Dan Bongino, a former FBI deputy director, Trump urged Republicans to take over election administration in regions he described as “crooked” and accused them of mishandling votes. “We should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places,” he said, adding that Republicans “ought to nationalize the voting” to prevent alleged illegal ballots from influencing results. He also repeated claims that immigrants were being brought into the country to cast unlawful votes — assertions that have been widely disputed by election officials and lack credible evidence.
Legal and Political Backlash
The notion of federalizing elections — a power traditionally vested in state governments under the U.S. Constitution — has drawn immediate pushback. Several Republican voices opposed the idea, asserting that elections are controlled by state law and warning against federal overreach. Experts note that while Congress has authority to regulate certain aspects of federal elections, there is no clear path for the federal government to simply take over state voting systems outright. Critics argue Trump’s proposal conflicts with core democratic principles and could undermine voter confidence.
Context as Midterms Near
Trump’s remarks arrive as the nation prepares for crucial midterm elections in November 2026, where control of Congress is at stake. His comments also follow a recent FBI search of an election office in Georgia’s Fulton County related to records from the 2020 presidential election. While Trump hinted that new developments might emerge from that investigation, he did not offer specifics. The combination of federal actions and political rhetoric continues to fuel a heated debate over election security and federal versus state roles.
