Trump suggests Republicans should nationalize voting

Politics Trump suggests Republicans should nationalize voting. Here's what to know. By Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn Senior Reporter, Politics Melissa Quinn is a senior reporter for CBSNews.com, where she covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Read Full Bio Melissa Quinn February 3, 2026 / 6:18 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — President Trump suggested Monday that Republicans should "nationalize" voting, the latest escalation in his and his administration's efforts to step into federal elections ahead of the 2026 midterms.During a podcast interview with former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino, Mr. Trump repeated his claims that people who are in the U.S. illegally are voting in federal elections and urged Republicans to "take over the voting" in at least 15 states."The Republicans should say, 'we want to take over,'" Mr. Trump said Monday. "The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. And then we have states that are so crooked, and they're counting votes."A day later, Mr. Trump said in an Oval Office event, while flanked by lawmakers and members of his Cabinet: "I want to see elections be honest, and if a state can't run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it." Constitution gives states — not the president — the power to run electionsThe Constitution's Elections Clause gives states the authority to set the rules for federal elections, and offices at the state and local levels oversee their administration, though Congress can pass election regulations in certain cases.As a result, the president has virtually no role in overseeing elections, said David Becker, a CBS News election law contributor and the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research."The Elections Clause of the Constitution couldn't be any more clear," Becker said on CBS News' "The Takeout with Major Garrett" on Tuesday. "It's actually one of the areas the Founders...