Trump urges Republicans to ‘Nationalize’ future US elections

US President Donald Trump has called on Republicans to push for federal control over elections, saying the party should “nationalize the voting” as his administration moves to reshape election rules ahead of this year’s midterm races.

Speaking in an interview aired Monday night, February 2, Trump argued that Republicans should take over voting in multiple states, claiming widespread problems with how ballots are counted at the state level. He said some states were “so crooked” and repeated claims that he won states that official results showed he lost, allegations that have not been supported by evidence.

Trump’s remarks came days after federal authorities searched an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia, a jurisdiction that has featured prominently in his long-standing claims about the 2020 election. The search was tied to a Justice Department effort to obtain election records as part of an investigation into alleged voter fraud.

He suggested that developments in Georgia would soon reveal “interesting things,” saying court orders had allowed authorities access to ballots in the state.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed that Trump personally directed her to travel to Atlanta in connection with the search. According to sources familiar with the matter, Gabbard also put the president on the phone with FBI agents involved in the operation, describing the call as a brief “pep talk.”

In the United States, elections are traditionally administered by state and local governments, with limited federal oversight. Despite this, Trump has repeatedly pushed for sweeping changes to how elections are conducted nationwide.

Last year, he signed an executive order seeking to require proof of US citizenship to register to vote and to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day. Parts of the order have been blocked in federal court, and existing law already bars non-citizens from voting in federal elections.

Trump has also vowed on several occasions to eliminate mail-in voting and voting machines, methods he has repeatedly claimed lead to fraud, though he has not followed through with some of those pledges. In addition, his administration has backed an unusual mid-decade redistricting effort aimed at improving Republican prospects in the upcoming midterms.

The Justice Department has also sued more than 20 states in an effort to obtain full voter rolls, including sensitive personal information, despite offering no independent evidence to support claims that undocumented immigrants are influencing elections.

Democratic election officials say they are increasingly preparing for possible federal intervention during the midterms. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said state officials have discussed steps ranging from protecting voters at polling places to responding to federal demands for access to voter data.

“This is now a legitimate planning category. It’s extraordinarily sad, but it would be irresponsible for us to disregard the possibility,” Simon said.