Trump Reportedly Mulling Plan to Declare ‘National Emergency’ Paving Way for Major Power Grab
The Washington Post reported that a group of pro-Trump activists are working closely with people connected to the White House on a proposed executive order that could dramatically change how U.S. elections are handled. According to the report, these activists have drafted a 17-page document that argues the United States should declare a “national emergency” over election security. The draft claims that China interfered in the 2020 presidential election and uses that allegation as justification for giving the president expanded powers over voting systems nationwide.
The proposal, as described in the report, would allow the president to take extraordinary control of election procedures if such an emergency were declared. Activists involved believe this could open the door to major federal intervention in how elections are run, something traditionally managed by individual states. President Donald Trump has already suggested in public comments that he wants stricter voting rules before upcoming midterm elections, including mandatory voter identification and limits or outright bans on mail-in voting. Supporters of the draft executive order expect their proposal to influence a future action Trump has hinted he may take.
Peter Ticktin, a longtime MAGA activist who supports the idea, said the president believes foreign governments are interfering in American elections and must have the authority to respond forcefully. He argued that if outside actors are influencing voting systems, the president should be able to act quickly, even if that means banning certain voting machines or stopping mail ballots altogether.
Another activist pushing for the order, Jerome Corsi, said that if clear evidence of foreign interference existed, it could be treated as a national security crisis. Under that reasoning, the president could use powers tied to his role as commander in chief to issue emergency measures affecting elections.
Trump has for years claimed that U.S. elections are unfair or “rigged,” especially after losing the 2020 presidential race. Those claims, which courts and election officials repeatedly rejected due to lack of evidence, fueled widespread anger among his supporters and eventually contributed to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.
Earlier this month, Trump told conservative commentator and former FBI official Dan Bongino that Republicans should consider taking direct control of voting operations in multiple locations across the country. He went further by suggesting that voting itself should be “nationalized,” meaning the federal government would oversee elections rather than state authorities.
Trump has also repeatedly promised to act on voter identification rules even if Congress refuses to pass legislation. In a February 13 post on Truth Social, he argued that the absence of nationwide voter ID laws allows cheating and claimed most Americans support stricter identification requirements. He accused Democratic leaders of blocking voter ID policies for political reasons and said he was prepared to move forward using executive authority if lawmakers failed to act.
His message made clear that he sees voter ID as a central political issue heading into future elections. Trump urged Republicans to focus heavily on the topic during campaigns, describing it as a powerful strategy for winning votes. He also hinted that legal arguments were already being prepared to justify unilateral action through an executive order if Congress does not approve new election laws.
