Press Secretary Leavitt snaps at reporter questioning Trump's plan to 'nationalize' 2026 midterms

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt lost her temper during a press briefing when asked whether President Trump intends to deploy ICE agents to polling places during the 2026 midterms. She dismissed the question as 'silly,' 'hypothetical,' and 'disingenuous,' despite Steve Bannon explicitly stating such plans would occur. The heated exchange came after Trump told Dan Bongino's podcast he wanted to 'take over the voting' and 'nationalize' elections in 15 states. Leavitt attempted to spin Trump's comments as referring to the SAVE Act voter ID legislation, though she admitted she 'can't guarantee that an ICE agent won't be around a polling location in November.' The incident highlighted the administration's struggle to provide a coherent explanation for Trump's election interference threats.

"I can't guarantee that an ICE agent won't be around a polling location in November, but I haven't heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations." — Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responding to questions about Trump's statements on 'nationalizing' elections and deploying ICE agents to polling places