US President Donald Trump said Republicans should “nationalize” elections and “take over” voting in at least 15 places, renewing his baseless claim that US elections are plagued by widespread fraud.
Speaking on The Dan Bongino Show podcast on February 2, Trump did not specify which states or locations he was referring to or how such a takeover would be implemented.
“Republicans should say, we want to take over. We should take over voting… Republicans should nationalize voting,” Trump said.
What would the “nationalization” of elections mean
Trump’s remarks suggest shifting control of elections away from individual states and toward a centralized federal authority or a statewide controlled system. Currently, elections in the US are administered by states and local jurisdictions, which manage voter registration, ballot counting, voting machines, and certification of results.
Accusing several states of wrongdoing, Trump said, “We have states that are so crooked and counting votes. We have states that I won that I didn’t win.”
Constitutional Framework for US Elections
According to the US Constitution, states – not the federal government – are responsible for conducting elections. While Congress can set limited statewide rules, such as protecting voting rights, states retain primary authority over how elections are conducted.
Legal obstacles
Legal experts say any attempt to federalize or “nationalize” elections would face steep constitutional barriers and would likely prompt immediate legal challenges from states.
The rejection also came from within Trump’s own party. Republican Rep. Don Bacon said on X, “I opposed denationalizing elections when Speaker Pelosi wanted major changes to elections in all 50 states. I will oppose it now.”
Migrant Voting Claims
Trump has coupled his call to nationalize the election with claims that immigrants vote illegally — a claim without evidence. Only US citizens can vote in federal and state elections.
“These people were brought into our country to vote, and they are voting illegally,” Trump said, adding that Republicans are not getting “tougher” on the issue.
Georgia poll link and 2020 election claims
Trump’s comments came days after the FBI executed a search warrant at a Fulton County election center near Atlanta as part of an investigation related to the 2020 presidential election.
Georgia is among the states that Trump continues to falsely claim were stolen from him, despite repeated court rulings and reviews that have found no evidence of widespread fraud.
“Now you’re going to see something in Georgia … You’re going to see some interesting things come out,” Trump said.
Why notes matter
The comments come ahead of November’s midterm elections that determine control of Congress.