On Tuesday, President Donald Trump reaffirmed his stance that Republicans should take control of elections, a move that contradicted White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s efforts to diffuse his previous controversial statement about federalizing voting.
In a podcast interview with Dan Bongino, Trump, 79, insisted that Republicans should “nationalize” elections by controlling how ballots are cast and counted. His comments came shortly after Leavitt, 28, tried to explain his previous statements, contending that he meant passing the SAVE Act.
When pressed about the meaning of federal control over elections, Trump said to reporters at the Oval Office, “I want to see elections be honest.”
He argued that states are merely agents for the federal government in elections and accused several Democratic-run cities, including Detroit, Michigan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Atlanta and Fulton County, Georgia, of corrupt election practices.
Trump suggested that Republicans should control voting in at least 15 locations. He made unsupported claims of election fraud and corruption in Democratic cities without providing evidence. Additionally, he alleged that immigrants were being transported to the U.S. to vote illegally, despite noncitizen voting being unlawful.
Earlier that same Tuesday, Leavitt tried to downplay Trump’s remarks about federalizing elections.
Leavitt stated, “What the president was referring to is the SAVE Act, which is a substantial, sensible piece of legislation that Republicans have supported and President Trump is dedicated to signing into law during his term.”
However, Trump made no reference to the SAVE Act during his interview with Bongino. The proposed legislation does not give the federal government the authority to take control of elections in specific states. Leavitt claimed Trump had discussed the SAVE Act with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The SAVE Act, officially known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would necessitate proof of citizenship to register to vote. The GOP-controlled House passed the bill.
Trump’s comments were another instance of him promoting election misinformation and reviving unfounded claims that U.S. elections are rigged. He lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
These comments surfaced as Trump expressed skepticism about his party’s chances in the upcoming November midterm elections. The 2026 midterms are a crucial challenge for Republicans aiming to retain control of Congress.
Even Republican leaders in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, objected to Trump’s call to nationalize voting. House Speaker Johnson, 54, asserted that Trump was merely expressing frustration with Democratic states.
U.S. elections are primarily regulated by state law, with local officials across the country administering voting. This system has been a pillar of American democracy since the country’s inception, with states maintaining significant autonomy over election procedures, registration requirements, and methods of counting ballots.
The Constitution provides states with broad authority to conduct elections, with Congress’s power to regulate the “times, places and manner” of federal elections being limited. Any attempt to federalize election administration would face substantial constitutional hurdles and would necessitate congressional action.
Trump’s proposal for a federal takeover of elections in specific jurisdictions is an unprecedented suggestion from a sitting president. Past instances of federal intervention in state elections have been confined to enforcing voting rights laws, especially in cases of documented discrimination.
Recently, the FBI raided the elections offices in Fulton County, Georgia, a place where Trump has repeatedly made unfounded allegations of election fraud. Federal officials confiscated records but gave little explanation as the Trump administration continues its hunt for alleged voter fraud.
Election security experts note that U.S. elections include thousands of separate jurisdictions, each with its own procedures and safeguards. This decentralized system makes extensive fraud extraordinarily hard to execute. Multiple audits and court cases after the 2020 election found no evidence of fraud that would have altered the outcome.
The SAVE Act, which Leavitt cited as Trump’s true focus, would shift the responsibility of proof from election officials to individual voters. The proposed legislation would require all Americans to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote or updating their registration.
Under the SAVE Act, government-issued driver’s licenses, including REAL IDs, as well as military and tribal IDs, would not suffice as documentation. The proposed law would disrupt online and mail-in voter registration processes that millions of Americans currently utilize.
Opponents of the SAVE Act argue that it would create hurdles for millions of U.S. citizens trying to exercise their right to vote. Birth certificates and passports would become necessary documents for voter registration, potentially disenfranchising citizens without easy access to these documents.
Republicans say the bill is needed to prevent noncitizen voting in federal elections. However, research has consistently shown that noncitizen voting is extremely rare in U.S. elections.
While Johnson admitted he could not provide evidence of fraud, he expressed concern about Democratic states. When asked specifically about a “takeover,” Johnson responded “no, no, no” as he distanced himself from reporters.
