Donald Trump Calls on Republicans to “Nationalize” Elections
Donald Trump in the Oval Office behind a hat that reads “America is Back!” on February 3, 2026. Source: CNN.
On Tuesday, February 2, President Trump called on the federal government and the Republican Party to “nationalize” elections in the United States. The President was interviewed by Dan Bongino, his former deputy FBI director, on his podcast, where he suggested Republican officials “take over” voting procedures in 15 states. President Trump’s suggestion that the federal government intervene in certain elections blatantly undermines the Constitution, highlights major divisions within the Republican Party, and is a clear effort by the Trump administration to claim fraud in the 2020 election and to prepare for major losses in the 2026 midterms.
These claims came a week after the FBI raided an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia, to seize ballots and voting records from President Trump’s 2020 loss to Joe Biden. The FBI seized nearly 700 boxes of ballots and election material after a court order to assess the “fraud” involved in Trump’s 2020 election loss.
When speaking on immigrants’ impact on elections on Dan Bongino’s podcast, the President said, “If Republicans don’t get them out, you will never win another election as a Republican.” He also said that millions of immigrants “were brought” into the United States to vote illegally. Voting by noncitizens is also already illegal in federal elections, and rare enough to not be a source of the “fraud” claimed by the White House.
White House officials have attempted to reel in the President’s claims, with Karoline Leavitt stating the same day that the President was referring to the SAVE Act, which would require people to prove they are U.S. citizens during voter registration. However, the President failed to mention the SAVE Act either time he mentioned the “nationalization” of elections during the podcast.
Many Republican Senators have defended the President’s statements, furthering the narrative that the President was referring to the SAVE Act. Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri said, “What I assume he meant by it is that we ought to pass — Congress ought to pass the SAVE Act.” Senator John Boozman of Arkansas also framed the President’s comments as “far, far from nationalizing the election.” Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana also claimed the President didn't call to “nationalize” elections, but deflected when reporters informed him that Trump used the word himself.
The President’s words have caused visible confusion and division among Republicans. While some Senators, such as Hawley, Boozman, and Kennedy, have attempted to clarify and deflect concerns about the President’s calls for nationalization, other Republican senators have voiced their concerns. Shelley Moore Capito from West Virginia responded that the President “thinks it’s safer” to nationalize elections, but then said, “I, personally, don’t.”
Furthermore, Leavitt assured the press that the President “believes in the United States Constitution,” to which the President later responded, saying, “If a state can’t run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it.” The Constitution, in the Elections Clause (Article 1 Section 4), makes clear its stance on elections, and the Supreme Court has interpreted the clause to provide states with “a complete code for congressional elections.”
Going into the 2026 midterm elections, where the Republican Party is likely to suffer from President Trump’s low approval ratings, the economy, and Republican retirement, Trump may be looking to boost his party’s control over elections. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he believes Trump is trying to “steal” the midterms.
The Republican Party seems to be “cleaning up” the President’s continuous statements. However, both Republican Senators and the Press Secretary have shown the disconnect within the party, with their reflections of the President’s statements vaguely resembling the President’s actual words.
While the President has been trying to save Republicans in the 2026 midterms by nationalizing the election, the ongoing lack of a coherent party message across the branches could be hurting the GOP. Right now, Republicans need a united front going into the midterms, something that has become a struggle for the party.