On February 2, 2026, President Trump told Dan Bongino that, “Republicans ought to nationalize the voting” and should 'take over the voting in at least many — 15 places." This direct call to unconstitutionally seize control of elections from states represents a dramatic escalation of Trump's attacks on democratic processes. The U.S. Constitution explicitly grants states, not the federal government, the power to control elections.
Trump's statement comes as his DOJ sues dozens of states for voter rolls, the FBI raids election offices (including Fulton County, Georgia), and federal courts block his executive orders attempting to control state elections. Legal experts called this a 'five-alarm fire for democracy. "