Trump urges GOP to "nationalize" voting, calling for party "take over"

The Republicans should say, 'We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least — many, 15 places,' the president said, calling on Republicans to "nationalize the voting," during an appearance on former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino's podcast, NBC News and CNN reported.

The remarks, delivered Monday during the Bongino interview, immediately sharpened a debate about federal authority over elections as Republican leaders offered competing responses and the White House pointed to pending legislation. The comments came less than a week after the FBI searched an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia, an action CNN said was tied to a Justice Department effort to seize election records and investigate alleged voter fraud.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson did not provide specifics on how a federal "take over" would work, but she framed the president's remarks as part of a broader agenda and pointed to the SAVE Act. "President Trump cares deeply about the safety and security of our elections — that's why he's urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting," Jackson told reporters, NBC reported.

Republican responses were mixed. ABC News cited an unnamed "Johnson" at a news conference as saying, "The president is expressing his frustration about the problems that we have in some of these blue states, where election integrity is not always guaranteed. We have to figure out solutions to that problem." When pressed whether the remark signaled support for a federal takeover, Johnson replied, "No, no, no." Senate Majority Leader John Thune, ABC reported, pointed to the SAVE Act when asked about the president's comments.

Legal experts and constitutional text complicate any federal effort to assume control of state-run elections. NBC noted Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which states that "the times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof," though Congress can pass federal regulations as well. CNN cited Supreme Court interpretations that have affirmed states' control over voter registration, election supervision, prevention of fraud, and counting of ballots, highlighting legal limits on a centralized takeover.

The president's podcast comments arrived amid a suite of actions by federal authorities and party operatives seeking to reshape election rules. CNN reported that the Justice Department has "amplified claims that undocumented immigrants have infiltrated US elections, without independent evidence," and has sued two dozen states seeking full voter rolls, including Social Security numbers and home addresses. CNN also noted that Mr. Trump has moved to change electoral mechanics before, saying in August he planned to "lead a movement" to end mail-in ballots and vowed to sign an executive order banning them and voting machines, a step he did not take. The network added that the president recently launched a mid-decade redistricting campaign meant to help Republicans win additional U.S. House seats.

ABC reported that Mr. Trump later "doubled down" and named Atlanta, Detroit and Philadelphia when discussing places he said should be targeted.

The thrust of Mr. Trump's remarks—advocating party-driven, federal-level intervention in how and where votes are administered—raises practical and constitutional questions about federalism, the scope of congressional authority over federal elections, and the balance between national standards and state control. Republicans pointing to legislative options such as the SAVE Act suggest the debate will move to Capitol Hill, where courts and lawmakers will confront whether and how to translate the president's call into enforceable policy.