By Aldgra Fredly
President Donald Trump said in a podcast interview with former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino on Feb. 2 that Republicans should “take over” the voting process in certain areas and place it under national authority.
In the interview on “The Dan Bongino Show,” Trump alleged that election outcomes were being distorted by noncitizen voting and suggested that Republicans should do more to address it.
“These people were brought to our country to vote, and they vote illegally. And you know, amazing that the Republicans aren’t tougher on it,” the president said.
“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 did not specify which states he was referring to or elaborate on how Republicans could nationalize voting. He said that some states “are so crooked and they’re counting votes,” without providing details.
“We have states that I won that show I didn’t win. Now, you’re going to see something in Georgia where they were able to get, with a court order, the ballots. You’re going to see some interesting things come out,” he said.
The United States is set to hold midterm elections in November, which will decide which party controls Congress for the next two years, with all 435 House seats and one-third of Senate seats up for vote.
Commenting on Trump’s remarks, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) posted on X that he is against nationalizing voting in any state. Bacon announced last year that he will not seek reelection.
“I opposed nationalizing elections when Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi wanted major changes to elections in all 50 states. I’ll oppose this now as well,” the lawmaker said.
“I work w/the NE Gov & Unicameral to ensure we have secure elections where every citizen’s vote counts. This is what the Constitution calls for.”
House Republicans said last week that they plan to roll out a comprehensive election reform bill that would set requirements for elections, including for photo IDs and proof of citizenship.
House Administration Committee Chair Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) said the Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act aims to prevent election fraud.
The bill would require voters to show photo identification when casting ballots and verify their citizenship during registration. It would also mandate that mail-in ballots be received by the close of polls on election day and require states to use auditable paper ballots.
America First Policy Institute supported the bill, saying it includes requirements that will prevent noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections.
“As an American citizen, casting a ballot is a civic duty, a unique privilege, and a fundamental right to help determine who represents you in government and who will stand for your ideas, values, and freedom,” the group’s chair of election integrity, Kenneth Blackwell, said in a statement.
