Trump calls for Republicans to 'nationalize' elections, falsely claims immigrant voter fraud

During a February 3, 2026 interview on the Dan Bongino Podcast, President Trump suggested that Republican state officials should 'take over' and 'nationalize' elections in 15 states to protect the party from being voted out of office. He claimed without evidence that undocumented immigrants were brought to the country to vote illegally and that widespread fraud occurred in 2020. The proposal would require a federal takeover of state election administration, directly contradicting the Constitution's Elections Clause which assigns primary responsibility for election administration to states. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the proposal as 'outlandishly illegal,' while the League of Women Voters condemned it as a calculated effort to dismantle electoral integrity. The comments came on the same day as an FBI raid of the Fulton County, Georgia election office, raising concerns about retribution over 2020 and potential 2026 election interference.

"Republicans should 'take over' and 'nationalize' elections in 15 states to protect the party from being voted out of office" — Statement made during Dan Bongino Podcast interview on February 3, 2026, while discussing alleged voter fraud and the 2020 election