Is Trump Openly Talking About Rigging Elections? Democrats Warn After His 'Nationalise Voting' Remark

Donald Trump has sparked fresh fears over election interference after saying Republicans should 'nationalise voting' and take control of elections in multiple states.

The remarks, made during a podcast appearance, prompted a joint response from all 23 Democratic state governors, who accused the President of undermining democratic norms ahead of November's midterms.

In their statement, the governors said free and fair elections were 'the foundation of our democracy' and warned against federal involvement in state-run voting systems.

They said Americans deserved to vote 'without interference from the federal government.'

What Trump Said About 'Nationalising Voting'

Trump made the comments while appearing on a podcast hosted by former FBI official Dan Bongino.

He suggested Republicans should take direct control of voting in certain areas.

'The Republicans should say, "We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least 15 places",' Trump said.

He then added: 'The Republicans ought to nationalise the voting.'

The comments quickly circulated online, with critics arguing the language sounded less like reform and more like a political takeover.

Nationalising elections means the federal government runs elections instead of each state or local area running their own. Right now in the US, each state decides how to organise voting, such as who can vote, how ballots look, and how votes are counted. Some states allow early voting, some don't. Some let mail-in ballots, some don't.

Nationalising would make these rules the same everywhere, and the federal government would be in charge.

According to The Hill, the Democratic governors see Trump's claim as 'undemocratic' and an 'attempt to silence the American people who are rejecting his costly and divisive agenda.'

It's worth noting that, recently, independent voters have disapproved of Trump at a rate that has decreased by 40%.

The governors wrote, 'While Trump whines about losing a free and fair election, he's now openly talking about rigging one in the future. Democratic governors won't let that happen.'

Governors Vow to Block Trump's 'Undemocratic' Agenda

The Democratic Governors Association's vice chair, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, vowed to stand up to Trump's likely efforts to allow the federal government to take over state elections.

'It's a system that was designed by our Founding Fathers to protect us against those who would try to take and hold power illegitimately or by force.'

Whitmer also stated on X that America 'remains the longest-running representative democracy in the world,' thanks to its current voting system. 'For 250 years, we have set a powerful example, and we must continue to follow it,' she added.

Trump, on the other hand, does not believe that the US has a fair voting system, following his claims about voter fraud from the 2020 presidential election. He maintains that he won the election, not former President Joe Biden.

It appears, however, that Trump is not starting his effort through a policy. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon suggests that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers should 'surround the polls' in the November midterms.

'You're damn right we're going to have ICE surround the polls come November.' He also added that the current administration will not 'sit here and allow you to steal the country again. And you can whine and cry and throw your toys out of the pram all you want, but we will never again allow an election to be stolen.'

Elected democrats raised concerns about this, fearing that the Trump administration would use federal law to intimidate voters, seeing how ICE orchestrated violence and deaths in their immigration crackdown.

Republicans have not publicly confirmed any plan to pursue a federal takeover of voting systems.