Overview
- In a podcast with Dan Bongino, Trump repeated false claims of widespread fraud and alleged noncitizen voting while urging Republicans to assume control of election administration in selected jurisdictions.
- The comments followed an FBI search of Fulton County, Georgia’s elections office for 2020 records, and the New York Times reported Trump spoke by phone with agents involved during a visit that included DNI Tulsi Gabbard.
- A White House spokesperson cited support for measures like the SAVE Act, including photo ID standards and limits on mail voting, without offering specifics on how federal control would be executed.
- Courts have already blocked parts of Trump’s 2025 executive order on election rules, and legal experts note the Constitution gives states primary authority over running elections, with any changes requiring acts of Congress.
- Democrats and some Republicans condemned the idea as unlawful or dangerous, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it “outlandishly illegal” and Rep. Don Bacon publicly opposing federal control of elections.