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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Politicians from states across the U.S. have rejected President Donald Trump's calls to "nationalize" elections in the country.
Trump said in an interview with former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino on Friday that he would like Republicans to "take over" and "nationalize" voting amid unfounded concerns about electoral fraud in the U.S.
The president claimed, without evidence, that noncitizens were voting in elections and influencing their outcomes and said Republicans "should take over the voting in at least 15 places." He did not clarify which places he thought Republicans should take over, and how Republicans would do so.
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On Tuesday, he reiterated calls for the federal government to "get involved" in elections in comments in the Oval Office.
Secretary of states in different areas in the U.S. issued statements speaking out against the proposal.
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Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Newsweek on Tuesday*:* "President Trump cares deeply about the safety and security of our elections—that’s why he’s urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting."
The SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act is a proposal to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in elections.
Why It Matters
Trump's comments triggered an immediate backlash among those concerned that Trump is stoking unfounded electoral impropriety issues ahead of the November 2026 midterms, in which the GOP faces an uphill battle to maintain control of the House because of their slim majority.
Nationalizing elections also appears to be in conflict with the U.S. Constitution, lawyers told Newsweek.
Trump and his allies have consistently claimed, without evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that voter fraud issues including duplicated ballots falsely certified former President Joe Biden's victory.
What To Know
"The Republicans should say, 'We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least 15 places.' The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting," Trump said on The Dan Bongino Show on Friday.
Meanwhile, speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said the federal government should "get involved" in elections to avoid "corruption." He added, in comments reported by the media, that if states "can't count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over."
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement about Trump's comments: "It’s not a good idea. It’s also not a constitutional idea. It would be unconstitutional because under the Constitution, states oversee American elections. That’s how it worked since we’ve had a Constitution."
Meanwhile, Nevada's Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said Trump didn't "have the power" to change election administration.
"The Constitution makes it clear: elections are run by the states," he said in a statement.
"Nevada will continue to run safe, secure and accessible elections and I’ll always stand up for the rights and protection of our voters," Aguilar said. "The president doesn’t have the power to change how our elections are conducted, and what he’s suggesting is unconstitutional."
Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Vermont Secretary of State, said Trump's words had set "out ripples of uncertainty and mistrust in elections across the country."
And in Maine, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, told Spectrum News that elections should be run by states.
"That’s because the framers of the Constitution understood that it should be the officials at the local and state level who are closest to the voters and most trusted by the people that administer the elections," she said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Trump was referring to the SAVE Act.
The House passed the Save Act bill last year but it did not clear the Senate. Republicans have pushed the Senate to take up the bill in recent weeks, amid the reemergence of electoral fraud as a political issue.
The FBI on Wednesday served a search warrant at the election headquarters of Fulton County, Georgia, amid a probe into the 2020 election results.
What People Are Saying
Democratic New York Senator Chuck Schumer, speaking Monday: "Does Donald Trump need a copy of the Constitution? What he’s saying is outlandishly illegal. Once again, the president’s talking no differently than a dictator who wants elections in America to be as legitimate as elections in countries like Venezuela."
Republican Nebraska Representative Don Bacon, on X: "I opposed nationalizing elections when Speaker Pelosi wanted major changes to elections in all 50 states. I’ll oppose this now as well. I work w/the NE Gov & Unicameral to ensure we have secure elections where every citizen’s vote counts. This is what the Constitution calls for."
What Happens Next
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has said Trump will take to the campaign trail ahead of the November midterms.
Meanwhile, some Republicans have signed onto a "Make Elections Great Again Act," which proposes stricter requirements to vote in elections, including requirements for photo IDs before people can vote.
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