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LetMyPeopleVote

(176,589 posts)
19. MaddowBlog-'Republicans ought to nationalize the voting': Trump eyes radical power-grab
Wed Feb 4, 2026, 12:40 PM
Yesterday

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

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

That's crazy truddy777 Yesterday #1
His remark is not only crazy, it is unconstitutional. Fraud !! Cheating !! Banana Republic stealing the election. Trueblue1968 Yesterday #31
Nope........... Lovie777 Yesterday #2
Remember when ivanka got trademarks from China for voting machines IcyPeas Yesterday #3
Wait. I've seen this on TV. bucolic_frolic Yesterday #4
Places where there is "corruption on elections" places he lost. JohnnyRingo Yesterday #5
Yes, I can't wait to see his "fifteen places" list. Harker Yesterday #13
Maybe we could start a pool. JohnnyRingo Yesterday #32
I'm going with Milwaukee as my flier pick. Harker Yesterday #34
Just like Joseph Stalin - YodaMom2 Yesterday #17
I like that he still wants us to think that there will be 'elections'. (n/t) OldBaldy1701E Yesterday #6
Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1: U.S. Constitution Botany Yesterday #7
And nothing of the sort is mentioned in Article II (Executive Branch) at all! BumRushDaShow Yesterday #9
This................end of story........... turbinetree Yesterday #21
Watch the idiot media... Escape Yesterday #8
"Seriously, this will now be presented on news programs as a legitimate question." BumRushDaShow Yesterday #10
A reporter needs to ask him if he would support investigating the precincts Baitball Blogger Yesterday #11
Yup! In multiple counties in PA there were precincts with more votes than registered voters. Botany Yesterday #12
Rich coming from a guy who whined to steal votes tonekat Yesterday #14
No Kings, no dictators! Nt bronxiteforever Yesterday #15
The elephant in the living room just keeps getting bigger and bigger... BattleRow Yesterday #16
Not just no, fucking HELL no. Initech Yesterday #18
MaddowBlog-'Republicans ought to nationalize the voting': Trump eyes radical power-grab LetMyPeopleVote Yesterday #19
Trump is trash and timms139 Yesterday #29
Because the $%#&*( is afraid of the future prison jumpsuit........... turbinetree Yesterday #20
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemned Trump's call to nationalize U.S. elections Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Yesterday #22
It is going no where. creon Yesterday #36
CBS News a few nights ago said that Trump lies about the 2020 elections. twodogsbarking Yesterday #23
He's talking about the biggest power grab in our history. LudwigPastorius Yesterday #24
The "Russiafication" of the "Shining Light On The Hill" Justice matters. Yesterday #25
Put the big fat man-baby in the corner -- PERMANENTLY Blue Owl Yesterday #26
Unsafe Work Environment OC375 Yesterday #27
The Gest Pedo Traitor in Chief Miami Blue Yesterday #28
Good luck with that one, Fatso Warpy Yesterday #30
What happened to smaller government blue blues Yesterday #33
The states run elections. creon Yesterday #35
If the federal govt is to control elections, then federal elections should be decided by the popular vote. nt Blasphemer 20 hrs ago #37
Emergency Order duckworth969 12 hrs ago #38
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