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LetMyPeopleVote

(176,499 posts)
19. MaddowBlog-'Republicans ought to nationalize the voting': Trump eyes radical power-grab
Wed Feb 4, 2026, 12:40 PM
13 hrs ago

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.

Recommendations

5 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

That's crazy truddy777 19 hrs ago #1
His remark is not only crazy, it is unconstitutional. Fraud !! Cheating !! Banana Republic stealing the election. Trueblue1968 9 hrs ago #31
Nope........... Lovie777 19 hrs ago #2
Remember when ivanka got trademarks from China for voting machines IcyPeas 19 hrs ago #3
Wait. I've seen this on TV. bucolic_frolic 19 hrs ago #4
Places where there is "corruption on elections" places he lost. JohnnyRingo 16 hrs ago #5
Yes, I can't wait to see his "fifteen places" list. Harker 14 hrs ago #13
Maybe we could start a pool. JohnnyRingo 9 hrs ago #32
I'm going with Milwaukee as my flier pick. Harker 7 hrs ago #34
Just like Joseph Stalin - YodaMom2 13 hrs ago #17
I like that he still wants us to think that there will be 'elections'. (n/t) OldBaldy1701E 16 hrs ago #6
Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1: U.S. Constitution Botany 16 hrs ago #7
And nothing of the sort is mentioned in Article II (Executive Branch) at all! BumRushDaShow 16 hrs ago #9
This................end of story........... turbinetree 12 hrs ago #21
Watch the idiot media... Escape 16 hrs ago #8
"Seriously, this will now be presented on news programs as a legitimate question." BumRushDaShow 16 hrs ago #10
A reporter needs to ask him if he would support investigating the precincts Baitball Blogger 15 hrs ago #11
Yup! In multiple counties in PA there were precincts with more votes than registered voters. Botany 15 hrs ago #12
Rich coming from a guy who whined to steal votes tonekat 14 hrs ago #14
No Kings, no dictators! Nt bronxiteforever 14 hrs ago #15
The elephant in the living room just keeps getting bigger and bigger... BattleRow 13 hrs ago #16
Not just no, fucking HELL no. Initech 13 hrs ago #18
MaddowBlog-'Republicans ought to nationalize the voting': Trump eyes radical power-grab LetMyPeopleVote 13 hrs ago #19
Trump is trash and timms139 10 hrs ago #29
Because the $%#&*( is afraid of the future prison jumpsuit........... turbinetree 13 hrs ago #20
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemned Trump's call to nationalize U.S. elections Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin 11 hrs ago #22
It is going no where. creon 6 hrs ago #36
CBS News a few nights ago said that Trump lies about the 2020 elections. twodogsbarking 11 hrs ago #23
He's talking about the biggest power grab in our history. LudwigPastorius 11 hrs ago #24
The "Russiafication" of the "Shining Light On The Hill" Justice matters. 11 hrs ago #25
Put the big fat man-baby in the corner -- PERMANENTLY Blue Owl 11 hrs ago #26
Unsafe Work Environment OC375 11 hrs ago #27
The Gest Pedo Traitor in Chief Miami Blue 11 hrs ago #28
Good luck with that one, Fatso Warpy 10 hrs ago #30
What happened to smaller government blue blues 7 hrs ago #33
The states run elections. creon 6 hrs ago #35
If the federal govt is to control elections, then federal elections should be decided by the popular vote. nt Blasphemer 2 hrs ago #37
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