Is Trump Trying to Take Control of the 2026 Midterms? Allies Circulate Draft Plan
Washington is again bracing for a fight over election power after Trump allies circulated a draft executive order that would claim foreign interference in 2020 as a reason to expand presidential control over voting before the 2026 midterms. That matters now because the proposal touches the rules for how congressional elections are run.
The tension is that the activists’ theory runs straight into the Constitution. The Library of Congress says Article I, Section 4 gives states the first authority over the “Times, Places and Manner” of congressional elections, while Congress can alter those rules by law.
The Washington Post reported that pro-Trump activists, who said they were in coordination with the White House, circulated a 17-page draft order claiming without evidence that China interfered in the 2020 election. The draft would invoke a national emergency and includes hand-marked paper ballots, fresh proof-of-citizenship registration for 2026, limits on mail ballots, and an expanded role for several federal agencies in identifying ineligible voters.
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But the same report says a 2021 intelligence review found China considered influence efforts in 2020 and did not carry them out. AP has separately reported that states sued over Trump’s prior election order, calling it an unconstitutional attempt to reshape election administration nationwide.
“This is a plot to interfere with the will of voters and undermine both the rule of law and public confidence in our elections,” Sen. Mark Warner said in response to the Post report.
The broader consequence is not a verified mechanism for Trump to stay in office beyond his term. Votebeat reported that election experts do not believe a president can cancel the midterms, but they do see real danger in efforts that make results look suspect, chaotic, or illegitimate after votes are cast.
What happens next is likely to unfold in court, in Congress, and in the states as Trump allies keep testing executive power and election officials keep insisting the 2026 vote will proceed under existing law.
The real fight, for now, is over control of the rules before ballots are counted.
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