US President Donald Trump once again suggested this Tuesday that the Republican Party should “nationalize” voting in the US, calling into question the autonomy of some states, especially Democratic ones, as provided for in the Constitution.
“I want elections to be honest, and if a state can’t hold an election, I think the people who support me should do something about it,” he said in the Oval Office, joined by congressional congressional allies during a signing ceremony for a bill to reopen the federal government after a brief administrative shutdown.
Trump also defended that the federal government should supervise the midterm elections, currently organized by the states. In the US, elections are governed by state laws under the US Constitution, thus allowing Americans to participate in a decentralized voting system in which citizens vote at polling stations administered at the local level. The federal government plays a limited role in this process.
According to the president, some cities are riddled with irregularities and electoral corruption, although he did not present evidence to support these allegations. He cites Detroit, Philadelphia and Atlanta, all governed by Democrats. Trump insists that “the federal government should not allow this.”
“I think the federal government should get involved,” Trump added, reiterating a position he has defended in the past and which has drawn criticism from state officials and election experts who argue that greater federal intervention could undermine states’ autonomy.
The president’s statements come after the White House tried to downplay comments made by his spokesman, who suggested that the Republican Party should “nationalize” the elections, an idea that provoked immediate reactions from Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) attempted to deflect criticism from the president’s allies, arguing that he was merely “expressing his frustration” with alleged problems enforcing election laws in certain Democratic-leaning states.
Trump’s statements came days after FBI agents searched the main election office in Fulton County, Georgia, where Atlanta is located, looking for records related to the 2020 elections.
