President Donald Trump doubled down on his call to “nationalize” elections during an Oval Office ceremony on Tuesday. He told reporters that the federal government should intervene in cities like Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Trump argued that if states cannot run honest elections, “somebody else should take over.”
The President first floated the idea during a podcast interview with Dan Bongino. He suggested that Republicans should “take over the voting” in at least 15 specific locations. Trump claimed these areas are “crooked” and need federal agents to ensure a legal and honest count.
“The federal government should not allow that,” Trump said while flanked by GOP lawmakers. “These are agents of the federal government to count the vote.” White House officials later clarified that his primary goal is defending election integrity through uniform national standards.
Prominent Republicans have hesitated to support the proposal. Senate Majority Leader John Thune rejected the idea, citing it as a major “constitutional issue.” Thune stated clearly that he is not in favor of federalizing elections at this time.
Speaker Mike Johnson also sought to downplay the President’s comments. He argued that Trump was simply “expressing his frustration” with the current system. However, Johnson confirmed that he would not support a federal takeover of the voting process.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted the suggestion on the Senate floor. He called the idea “outlandishly illegal” and questioned Trump’s commitment to democracy. Schumer argued that the Constitution clearly leaves election administration to the individual states.
The White House is currently urging Congress to pass the SAVE Act. This legislation would establish a national photo ID standard and prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting. Trump continues to maintain that a “perfected” national standard is the only way to ensure public trust in the 2026 midterms.