President Trump Pushes Controversial Call To 'Nationalize' Voting In GOP Remarks

President Donald Trump told former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino on Jan. 30 that "The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting" and suggested taking over vote administration in "at least 15 places," according to the podcast recording.

The comments followed Trump’s Feb. 3 interview with NBC’s Tom Llamas in which he said he would accept 2026 midterm results "if the elections are honest," and the White House framed his remarks as backing election security measures including the SAVE Act.

Legal experts said the Constitution's Article I, Section 4 gives states primary authority over times, places and manner of federal elections while allowing Congress to alter rules by statute, creating a constitutional and congressional battleground, experts told the Washington Examiner and Salon.

The Justice Department has sought full voter registration lists from about 44 states and sued roughly two dozen states and D.C., drawing criticism from state officials including Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and legal advocacy groups, records and statements show.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump’s suggestion "outlandishly illegal" on Feb. 3, while Senate Republicans including John Thune and Rand Paul said Congress should not nationalize voting, and lawmakers signaled competing proposals and litigation could shape the lead-up to the Nov. 2026 midterms.