Trump Calls for Nationalizing Elections, Revives Fraud Claims | 2024 Updates

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump on Monday called for the federal government to “nationalize” elections, repeating his unsubstantiated claim that U.S. Elections are rife with fraud. Speaking on a podcast hosted by former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Trump asserted that Republicans should “take over the voting in at least 15 places,” alleging irregularities in what he termed “crooked states” are harming the GOP.

“The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” Trump said, according to reports. This proposal would likely face constitutional challenges, as the Constitution grants states primary authority over election administration. It also underscores Trump’s continued efforts to alter voting rules.

Trump lamented that Republicans haven’t been “tougher” on the issue, again asserting without evidence that he lost the 2020 election due to illegal voting by undocumented immigrants. “If we don’t get them out, Republicans will never win another election,” he said. “These people were brought to our country to vote and they vote illegally, and it is amazing that the Republicans are not tougher on it.”

Trump hinted at potential developments in Georgia, stating “some interesting things” may emerge. This follows an FBI search warrant served at the election headquarters of Fulton County, Georgia. The New York Times reported that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present when she called Trump on her cellphone during the search. Trump reportedly thanked the agents for their work, an unusual interaction between a president and investigators involved in a politically sensitive inquiry.

During a speech at the World Economic Summit in Davos, Switzerland, Trump suggested criminal charges were imminent related to what he called a “rigged” 2020 election. Georgia has been a focal point of Trump’s claims, particularly his January 2021 phone call to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he asked Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes to overturn the state’s results. Raffensperger refused, affirming that multiple reviews confirmed Joe Biden’s victory in the state.

Since returning to office a year ago, Trump has actively pushed for changes to election rules. In March, he signed an executive order requiring proof of U.S. Citizenship on election forms, but a federal judge barred the administration from implementing it in October, citing a violation of the separation of powers. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia wrote, “Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes.”

Several Republican lawmakers in Congress have supported legislation requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. Some conservatives are reportedly using the elections bill as a bargaining chip in negotiations over a spending package aimed at ending a partial government shutdown. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) wrote on X, “ONLY AMERICAN CITIZENS SHOULD BE VOTING IN AMERICAN ELECTIONS. This is common sense not rocket science,” as negotiations continued.

The push for stricter election rules comes after the 2024 election, in which Donald Trump was declared the winner and Kamala Harris conceded. However, following the results, claims of election fraud emerged from both supporters of Trump and supporters of Harris, according to reports. Misleading allegations and fake videos flooded social media in the lead-up to the election, with hundreds of incidents of purported voting irregularities being collected and spread by individuals and groups. The U.S. Government alleged that foreign actors, including Russia, were spreading disinformation to undermine confidence in the electoral process.

In the wake of the 2024 election, false claims about election fraud were not limited to Trump supporters. Supporters of Harris also began spreading falsehoods, with some questioning the difference in vote totals between 2020 and 2024, falsely claiming “20 million missing votes.” The spread of misinformation posed a challenge to election officials, who were tasked with debunking rumors and reassuring voters.