Trump Signals Emergency Powers for 2026 Midterms After Host Urges Election Takeover
Updated
Updated · Democracy Docket · Aug 11
Trump Signals Emergency Powers for 2026 Midterms After Host Urges Election Takeover
3 articles · Updated · Democracy Docket · Aug 11
Summary
Trump said “stranger things have happened” when asked in a late-night interview whether he would declare a national security emergency to control the 2026 midterm elections.
Wayne Allyn Root urged him to bypass Congress and impose photo ID, proof-of-citizenship rules and limits on mail voting through executive action, claiming such an order could not be stopped in court.
The Constitution gives states and Congress—not the president—authority over election administration, and no U.S. president has ever used emergency or wartime powers to run, alter or cancel elections.
Trump has nonetheless floated “nationalizing” voting, said he regretted not seizing ballots and machines after 2020, and saw courts block two separate election-related executive orders.
The remarks fit a broader White House push to revive 2020 election falsehoods ahead of November, raising concern that emergency claims or mass race challenges could be used to contest results.