President Donald Trump said Monday he would like to see Republicans move toward nationalizing elections, claiming—without providing evidence—that immigrants had been brought into the country to influence outcomes and that widespread fraud had occurred in states including Georgia.
In an interview with Dan Bongino, who recently left his role as deputy director at the FBI, Trump argued that U.S. elections are “corrupt” and suggested taking authority away from states—an idea that would run headlong into the Constitution’s allocation of election administration.
“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.
The remarks prompted criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the proposal “outlandishly illegal.”
Why It Matters
Trump has repeatedly claimed elections have been rigged against him, despite winning two of the three presidential elections he has run in. He has continued to promote theories that have been widely debunked about altered or stolen ballots in the 2020 election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden, as well as claims that illegal immigrants have voted in certain states.
The latest comments come as Trump and his allies signal they want changes to election policy ahead of the 2026 midterms, fueling concern among Democrats and some experts that the administration could attempt to undermine long-standing constitutional and legal guardrails around how voting is administered.
What to Know
A former federal judge was among those pushing back on Trump’s suggestion, saying the president’s proposal conflicts with the Constitution’s framework for running elections.
Former U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III told CNN that it is up to state legislatures to decide how elections are conducted.
“What he’s proposing is not legal,” Jones said Monday.
The Constitution addresses election administration directly:
“The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators,” Article I, Section 4 reads.
Even if a president wanted to create a national body to oversee elections, significant changes would require Congress. A unilateral effort from the White House would not be sufficient under current law and constitutional practice.
Renewed Focus on Georgia
The debate over election security has been reignited in recent days after federal agents raided the Fulton County, Georgia, election office as part of a probe related to the 2020 election results. Fulton County was a focal point of Trump’s post-2020 claims, as he alleged fraud while seeking to overturn his loss.
Multiple investigations have found no evidence of widespread fraud or that Trump won the 2020 election. Still, Trump has continued to argue the election was stolen.
On Monday, he urged Republicans to take control of elections and move toward a nationalized approach rather than the state-run system currently in place. The comments align with broader efforts by the administration to reshape election policy, including now-halted plans that would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote.
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.”
Justin Amash, who describes himself as a libertarian Republican Constitutional conservative on X:
“Republicans should not, in fact, ‘nationalize the voting.’ If you were worried about election integrity before, this would make things infinitely worse. Decentralized elections are one of the greatest protections against large-scale fraud and abuse.”
Veterans for Responsible Leadership, a pro-democracy advocacy group, on X:
“Trump now says we should nationalize voting. A big f*** you to everyone that still says they are a conservative and supports Trump. It was all a lie that they said they believe in small government and state and local control. The biggest hypocrites on earth.”
Trump has also made similar claims in the past. In an August 2025 social media post about an as-yet-unsigned executive order, he wrote:
“Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do.”
What Happens Next
Schumer warned that the GOP’s SAVE Act could be used as a mechanism to push election rules toward a more centralized model. Meanwhile, the investigation in Georgia is ongoing.
