Trump urges Republicans to ‘nationalize’ elections, calls for federal takeover from states
President Donald Trump on Monday urged Republicans to take control of U.S. elections. He believes the federal government should manage voting systems instead of individual states. This push comes as he keeps promoting unproven claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump made these remarks on Dan Bongino's podcast. Bongino recently returned to broadcasting after resigning in January as FBI deputy director during the Trump administration. These comments mark one of Trump’s clearest calls for federal intervention in elections, a role typically handled by state governments.
“The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over,’” Trump stated. “We should take over voting in many places, at least 15. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are very corrupt.”
Trump did not say which states he believes should be targeted but has often criticized those won by former President Joe Biden in 2020, including Georgia. Biden defeated Trump over five years ago, and recounts, audits, and court rulings confirmed the results.
The president’s comments come as federal scrutiny increases on Georgia’s election administration. On January 28, FBI agents executed a search warrant at a Fulton County elections center near Atlanta as part of a probe linked to the 2020 election. Local officials plan to contest the federal seizure of ballots in court.
Trump claimed the investigation would support his assertions, even though no public evidence of wrongdoing has surfaced so far. “You’re going to see some interesting things come out,” he said, without proof, that ballots had been mishandled.
According to The New York Times, Trump spoke directly with FBI agents involved in the search the day after it happened. The report noted that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard connected Trump to the agents by phone while visiting the bureau. The White House has not publicly denied this account.
Trump’s call to federalize elections raises constitutional issues. The U.S. Constitution gives states the power to decide the “times, places, and manner” of elections, while allowing Congress to change those rules. Legal experts argue that a complete federal takeover of election administration would encounter significant legal and political challenges.
Trump presented his proposal as a response to alleged voter fraud. He claimed, without evidence, that Democrats have enabled illegal voting by migrants. “These people were brought to our country to vote, and they vote illegally,” he stated, echoing claims popular among his supporters. Federal and state laws limit voting to U.S. citizens, and research consistently shows that voter fraud is extremely rare.
These remarks reflect Trump’s ongoing efforts to revisit the 2020 election, even as Republican election officials, courts, and federal agencies have consistently dismissed claims of widespread fraud. His comments come at a time when Congress is debating election security measures and facing pressure from both parties regarding the federal government’s role in protecting voting systems.
Democrats and some conservatives have criticized Trump’s comments as efforts to undermine state authority and public trust in elections. They argue that federal control could politicize election management and diminish local oversight.
However, Trump maintains that Republicans have not been assertive enough in challenging election systems. “It’s amazing that the Republicans aren’t tougher about it,” he said.
These comments are expected to escalate discussions about election administration, federalism, and the limits of executive power, especially as Trump continues to position election integrity as a central issue of his presidency.