Trump says Republicans should 'nationalize' elections

[turbinetree]

The comments come less than a week after the FBI raided an elections facility in Georgia.

By Jacob Wendler
02/02/2026 01:38 PM EST


President Donald Trump said Monday that Republicans should nationalize elections, continuing to double down on false conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

The suggestion — which runs contrary to the Constitution’s delegation of election administration to state governments — comes less than a week after the FBI raided an elections office outside Atlanta, seizing ballots and other voting records from the 2020 election.

“The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least 15 places.’ The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” he said during an appearance on former Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino’s podcast, which he relaunched Monday.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/02/trump-nationalize-elections-2026-midterms-00760015

Bite me.......and pound sand.........Hey John Roberts what do you think since you gave this POS immunity..........

[Chasstev365]

1. Afraid much, Bro?

[Roy Rolling]

49. I would seize this opportunity

Limit election spending in federal election and effectively neuter Citizens United.

National elections? Make the funding limited to national funds governed by taxpayers.

Democrats need to tie this dictator’s concept to eliminating obscene money 💰 in elections.

Make a big announcement today that they agree with OranJello on national funding of political campaigns, along with actual laws governing election spending. The public will love this and make the federally-administered election idea the opposite of what oligarchs and tech bros want.

[LiberalLovinLug]

55. Just imagine if Obama or Biden said they wanted to "take over" the federal elections away from States

But I agree totally!
Every other democracy has national standards and operational methods and securities that are met across their countries for the sake of national security of the election process.

Democrats could publically agree on those points....as long as the exact standards are the same for Blue and Red States. Take advantage of it AFTER Democrats take the House in November. Trump may be ripe for the picking. Sore and licking his wounds.

And by the time the national election takes place in 28, with Dem House oversight, the US could be on its way to a much more secure and trusted system

[Walleye]

2. Did he take an oath to pound on and destroy the constitution

[turbinetree]

5. Me............ thinks yes............ever since 2016.........and confirmed July 1, 2024.................go figure.......

[ColoringFool]

25. Since 1987. 🇷🇺

[dflprincess]

16. Probably thinks because he didn't actually touch the Bible

When he took the oath it's not valid.

[Walleye]

17. I feel certain he doesn't have verbal skills to comprehend the constitution or the oath

[colorado_ufo]

35. He doesn't care!

He has pretty much said so, claiming only his "own morality" is a constraint on him.

Don't give him an excuse.

[joshdawg]

24. That would require something he is incapable

of doing: thinking!

[SergeStorms]

31. Just because the book had "Bible" written on it....

doesn't mean it actually was.

It was probably his day planner for Epstein Island.

[Evolve Dammit]

48. Had fingers crossed too

[markodochartaigh]

53. "Did he take an oath to pound on and destroy the constitution"

Well, the Republicans have been trying to call for a new Constitutional Convention for years so that they can enshrine their precepts such as marriage is between a man and a woman, labor unions are illegal, etc.
So who knows what Trump has promised leaders of the Republican party behind closed doors.

[Irish_Dem]

3. The GOP wants fake elections. Like in Russia.

[Mz Pip]

4. Pretty obvious what's happening.

I guess Trump knows the GOP can’t win on their accomplishments and agenda. Trump 2.0 is an epic failure. So instead of making much needed policy adjustments they come up with crap like this.

[GiqueCee]

6. I have a broader than average vocabulary...

... but I have a hard time finding language strong enough to describe how much I despise this evil sonofabitch. Where's my Klingon dictionary?
Sweet Jesus on a pogo stick, he has to be one the most repulsive excuses for a human being that Satan ever defecated. This can't go on.
Every day that he's allowed to spew his verbal vomit adds a decade to the time it will take to repair the damage he's done. He is a cancer.

[SheltieLover]

10. Bazinga! You win the thread imo.

Still chuckling over Jesus on a pogo stick.

Ty for the laugh.

[Amaryllis]

22. Klingon dictionary was good too.

[SheltieLover]

23. Yes!

[AZ8theist]

34. Klingon vs Ubbi Dubbi

[GiqueCee]

38. That...

... made my day! Thanks!

[Takket]

7. he's going to refuse to accept the election results. i don't think the nation is prepared for this......

it look a lot of effort to stop him last time. people literally died. i hope the counts are ready for this.....

[orangecrush]

12. You are in the right track

Unfortunately.

[slightlv]

42. I agree with you Takket...

people are not prepared for what trump will do with the next election (if there even IS a next election!). He has been screaming things he'll do for months... years... and we just let him spew without shutting him down constitutionally. If he and his repug friends cheat one another election, I think this country will erupt. At that point, I can't even say we'll have civil war because I think a lot of the MAGA are going to be yelling the same things WE are. I can see all these 2nd amendment remedy believers going to DC, and not to kill just democrats this time around.

If the law and congress won't rid us of these fascists, I fear people will take it into their own hands. A blatantly corrupt election will be just the reason to bring strange bedfellows together, IMO.

[unblock]

8. That would be profoundly unconstitutional

The constitution is, fundamentally, a contract among the states to create a federal government headed by officials designated by the states (for the executive and legislative branch, which then appoint and confirm officials to head the judicial branch).

Nationalizing elections completely usurps the foundational support of the states.

It is unconstitutional on an epic scale.

[orangecrush]

11. He doesn't give a fuck.

Again -

He doesn't give a fuck.

[bluestarone]

19. TRUE very TRUE BUT

What will the supreme court decide? I could see them put this a back burner so far back that TSF could still run in 2028.

[unblock]

20. True. Unconstitutional doesn't mean the actual power structure cares.

[slightlv]

43. I fear the Constitution was basically a gentlemen's agreement

to carry on norms. But we have a norm breaker... someone who wants power for power's sake for him and him alone. Our institutions have failed horribly to protect us. We THOUGHT the Constitution protected us, but we have a president who uses it to wipe his backside and a SCOTUS who allows him to do it. We can only hope to enact regime change on our own with our own voices, or hope for a country still friendly to those of us wanting democracy to bomb the crap out of DC. I'm just amazed one of our enemies haven't done it already, with trump in charge. Of course, with trump, he's probably bribed and paid off our enemies to stay away.

[Kablooie]

29. So? What does that matter?

The. Constitution only has power if it is enforced and Republicans are showing that Trumps druthers have more power than laws or the Constitution.

[unblock]

30. Sadly true. Republicans are proving the constitution is only as good as the people in power.

[leftstreet]

9. Make that "healthcare should be nationalized"

And you could maybe get a third term



Someone should tell him that....

[Wanderlust988]

13. Trump is fantasizing, but he's trolling. He's trying to depress the Dem vote.

There is no way on Earth that he can nationalize voting in Dem states. Please don't fall for this. It violates several amendments in the Constitution. Not even this Supreme Court would go that far and say that's ok.

[hay rick]

37. He doesn't have to do it in "Democratic" states.

If he can get Republican-controlled states to go along, they can falsify enough votes in those congressional districts that elect Democrats to keep the House. This is the easiest, lowest path of resistance, and is an extension of the mid-decade partisan redistricting effort to nullify the power of voting.

[Norrrm]

14. Do the states want a single party to take over such duties? - 'nationalize' elections

[Sogo]

15. Ain't gonna happen. GFY, Krasnov!

nt.

[C_U_L8R]

18. Why don't all the rightwingnut states go form a confederacy

‘Cause, y’know, that worked out so well.

[SergeStorms]

32. They'd go broke.

With the exception of a few red states, they take much, much more in tax revenues than they give. They're true "welfare states."

[regnaD kciN]

54. Why bother...?

After all, they currently control the entire U.S.A.

[NameAlreadyTaken]

21. States' Rights!

Oh, wait. Bush destroyed States' Rights by dragging the 2000 Florida election into a federal court, thereby denying the State of Florida the right to conduct its own election as it saw fit.

[maliaSmith]

26. Nationalize elections

Felon rapist trash doing Putin's work again.

[Tree Lady]

27. He will say or do anything he can get away with

I am wondering in swing states if he will put Ice near polling sites to scare legal minorities and older people.

[2abigbman]

28. Nationalize only BIPOC AREAS

The Emperor God-lite Prezinut has decided that too many BIPOC are voting. Texas tried to gerrymandering Latino and BIPOC into many areas. It didn't work and may cost Repukes seats by diluting Repukes seats. Ha,Ha, Ha,Ha, Karma is coming and she's pissed off.

[FakeNoose]

33. The Repuke puppets are all silently nodding their heads

But before they ever heard of Chump, they would have been up in arms if anyone had said this.
It's so totally against everything the GOP has ever stood for.

I grew up in the 1950s. For as long as I can remember the Repukes have been against every kind of regulation the federal government has instituted, from integrated schools, forced bussing, Medicare, welfare, Title 9, gun control, and on and on. The Repukes have been against all of it! All they've ever screamed about is "states' rights" and "our constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms."

Now Chump is tearing it down with one swift kick, and they're just silently nodding.

[OGBuzz]

36. He has a backup plan for November.

He will plant dozens of his 3rd world paramilitary agents, also known as ICE/CBP, outside every polling place in every Democratic county across America, and see who will be brave enough to enter to vote. This man cannot afford to lose and risk impeachment.
ICE plus CBP are over 100K strong, he has the muscle.

[Emile]

39. Everything that he says, is an admission of guilt.

I still don't think he won the last election.

[Joinfortmill]

40. His Hero is Hitler.

[maxrandb]

41. Don't worry fuckstick. It's already been nationalized, but NOT in the way you think

The Blue Wave is coming, and you're going to be shocked, because it's going to be so vast and so huge, that it's going to wash up in places like Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky. Iowa, North Carolina, Texas, Nebraska and Montana.

The Retrumplican Party is entering the "find out" phase.

Oh, and one more thing asshat!

"Quiet...QUIET! Piggy"

[camartinwv]

44. The Republicans should participate in the election without cheating and committing treason.

We’ll see who wins fair and square campaigning and voting as we have prior to 2016.

[Jbraybarten]

45. He can't. They can't.

[DemocracyForever]

46. GOP controlled Supreme Court started this in 2000

when they shredded the 10th amendment that gives the states the authority to run elections and stopped the legal Florida vote count in order to install GW Bush who then appointed Roberts and Alito. Trump tried to run the same play in 2020 but failed so he came up with January 6, 2021 instead.

[OGBuzz]

47. Only one way his 2020 election obsession makes any sense.

Trump cheated in all 3 elections and was successful in winning 2 out of the 3. The only way he can rationalize losing in 2020 is if Biden out-cheated him. This is a very sick man and as it is with every other MAGA accusation, this is just another confession.

[quakerboy]

50. Makes sense

I personally suspect that if voting had been nationalized previously, We never would have had Shrub, and I moderately strongly believe that if it had been nationalized, we never would have had Rump2.

But they know the elections are being interfered with, and that protecting and increasing that interference is the ONLY way they stay in power. Makes perfect sense they would want to do that.

[Attilatheblond]

51. Thinking him demanding state voter rolls will result in a lot of women being denied voting rights

If you took husband's surname, your name no longer matches your BIRTH name. You will need to spend $ and time getting certified copy of your marriage certificate and then hope your local county recorder will honor/accept that as the reason your adult name does not match your birth certificate.

We have heard many GOP pols from many different states saying that 'maybe' women shouldn't be allowed to vote. To my old eyes, demanding voter rolls and matching names on birth certificates to current surnames is one of the tools they want to use to silence women.

[mdbl]

52. The Congress should impeach and the Senate convict Trump NOW

He's the worst fucking law-breaker on the planet.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

56. MaddowBlog-'Republicans ought to nationalize the voting': Trump eyes radical power-grab

Those concerned about democracy don’t have the luxury of simply shrugging with indifference to the president’s latest conspiratorial nonsense.

Four weeks ago: Trump floated the idea of canceling future elections
Three weeks ago: “When you think of it, we shouldn’t even have an election”
Yesterday: “The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting”

But it’s not just rhetoric: all of this has come against a backdrop of concrete action.

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-02-03T14:05:32.050Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republicans-ought-to-nationalize-the-voting-trump-eyes-radical-power-grab

Partway through the interview, Bongino briefly referred to crime rates, to which Trump responded with a meandering rant across a variety of unrelated subjects, including his bizarre beliefs about election administration.

Trump: "These people were brought to our country to vote, & they vote illegally. The Republicans should say, we should take over the voting in at least 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that I won that show I didn't win. You're gonna see something in Georgia"

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-02-02T18:03:24.971Z

In the course of an unsettling tirade about his “landslide” victory in 2024 (which clearly wasn’t a landslide) and his belief that undocumented immigrants were brought into the U.S. specifically to vote against Republicans (undocumented immigrants cannot and do not vote), Trump elaborated on his vision for the nation’s electoral system.

“You know, it’s amazing that the Republicans aren’t tougher on it,” the president told Bongino. “The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over.’ We should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.”.....

Trump has long made clear that he rejects the idea that Americans settle their differences at the ballot box, and in recent weeks he’s offered fresh evidence of his antipathy toward democracy. On the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks, for example, Trump briefly floated the idea of canceling future U.S. elections. A few weeks ago, he told Reuters that he’s so impressed with himself and his record that “when you think of it, we shouldn’t even have an election.”

While Trump doesn’t have a credible plan to take over the nation’s system of elections, his increasingly frequent and radical declarations have been unsubtle. They’ve also begun to result in concrete action: It was just last week when FBI agents raided an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia, seizing ballots and voting records as part of the president’s conspiracy theory, which included Trump personally thanking the agents for their efforts.

This coincided with Trump’s Justice Department pursuing an aggressive campaign to acquire voter rolls from states where Democrats won in 2024.

Those concerned about democracy, voting rights and the integrity of election results don’t have the luxury of simply shrugging with indifference at the president’s latest nonsense. It’s part of a broader pattern of behavior that extends well beyond ridiculous whining.

[Martin68]

57. I doubt this will fly. Few states will want to cede their authority over elections, especial when it is possible

Democrats will obtain a majority in both houses of Congress.

[Initech]

58. No, we just need to remove him from power.

And he can take his ass kissing goons with him.