WASHINGTON -- President Trump doubled down on his view that Republicans should "nationalize" voting in the U.S., questioning whether certain states should continue running their own elections as spelled out in the Constitution.
"I want to see elections be honest, and if a state can't run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it," the president said Tuesday in the Oval Office, flanked by congressional Republicans during a bill signing ceremony to reopen the federal government.
"Take a look at Detroit...take a look at Philadelphia, take a look at Atlanta," Trump said, referring to the cities in presidential battleground states as places of alleged corruption, without citing specific evidence. "The federal government should not allow that. The federal government should get involved. These are agents of the federal government to count the vote. If they can't count the vote legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over."
Trump's comments echoed what he said in a podcast interview released Monday with Dan Bongino, his former deputy Federal Bureau of Investigation director, in which he urged Republican officials to "take over" voting procedures in 15 states, which he didn't name.
Elections in the U.S. are run by state law under the U.S. Constitution, creating a decentralized voting system in which Americans cast ballots at precincts administered at the local level, and the federal government plays a limited role.
Democrats have assailed the president's suggestions of any federal takeover of elections, calling it a dangerous undermining of democratic principles in violation of the Constitution. "Does Donald Trump need a copy of the Constitution? What he's saying is outlandishly illegal," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), who criticized Senate Republicans for being "silent as mice."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) told reporters that while he was in favor of requiring voters to show identification to prove citizenship in voting, "I'm not in favor of federalizing elections, no. I think that's a constitutional issue."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) told reporters Tuesday that the president was "expressing his frustration" about alleged problems in certain Democratic-leaning states enforcing election laws. Asked if Republicans should take over elections, Johnson repeatedly said, "no."
Trump's comments came days after FBI agents searched the main election office in Fulton County, Ga., home to Atlanta, looking for records related to the 2020 election. The FBI and the Justice Department under Trump have sought to pursue investigations of the president's perceived enemies and political grievances, including his 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden.
Georgia election officials conducted two recounts, which confirmed that Biden won the state in 2020. No court or election authority found evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
In the months leading up to the 2026 midterm elections, the Justice Department has also demanded that states provide voter lists, which can include driver's license numbers, birth dates and other information. The department has also signaled plans to conduct an unprecedented review of those voter rolls.
Republicans in Congress have led a renewed effort to pass legislation that would require proof of citizenship for voters to register for federal elections. The GOP-led House approved the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or Save Act, which would, among other things, require people registering to vote in federal elections to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate. The bill is pending in the Senate.
Democrats have called the measure a voter-suppression effort that would complicate voter registration for U.S. citizens. Roughly 50% of Americans have a valid passport, according to the State Department.