President Donald Trump on Tuesday doubled down on his controversial suggestion that Republicans “nationalize” elections as he continued to make false claims of widespread voter fraud and refused to simply accept his 2020 defeat.
“If a state cannot run an election, I believe the individuals behind me ought to do one thing about it,” Trump mentioned as he held a invoice signing within the Oval Workplace surrounded by Republican lawmakers. “As a result of, you already know, if you concentrate on it, the state is an agent for the federal authorities in elections. I do not know why the federal authorities would not do ’em anyway.”
Trump added that, in some circumstances, “The federal authorities ought to become involved. These are brokers of the federal authorities to depend the votes. If they cannot depend the votes legally and actually, then anyone else ought to take it over.”
President Donald Trump speaks within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington, earlier than signing a spending invoice that can finish a partial shutdown of the federal authorities.
Alex Brandon/AP
He repeated unfounded claims concerning the 2020 election, itemizing Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta after elevating what he alleged to be “rigged, crooked elections.”
The Structure offers states the authority to run and administer federal elections, topic to legal guidelines handed by Congress.
The White Home earlier Tuesday had sought to melt Trump’s related feedback from Monday — after Republican congressional leaders poured chilly water on his thought.
Democrats, too, shortly blasted his remarks, with Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer likening them to that of a dictator.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday informed reporters that Trump nonetheless helps states’ constitutional authority to manage elections and that he was referring to the SAVE Act when he advocated for nationalizing elections.
“I do not suppose any rational one who’s being sincere with themselves would disagree with the thought of requiring residents of this nation to current an ID earlier than casting a poll in a federal election, or, frankly, in any election, and that is one thing the president desires to see occur,” Leavitt mentioned.
“The president believes in america Structure, nonetheless, he believes there has clearly been numerous fraud and irregularities which have taken place in American elections,” she mentioned.
On Tuesday, when a reporter reminded him that the Structure dictates states ought to administer elections, Trump responded, “You recognize what, they will administer the election, however they need to do it actually.”
The Trump administration’s sought to make a number of modifications forward of the 2026 midterms, together with mid-decade redistricting in an effort to achieve extra Home seats and urgent no less than 24 states to show over voter information.
White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to the members of the media exterior the White Home in Washington, February 3, 2026.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
The GOP’s SAVE Act would require states to acquire proof of citizenship earlier than registering an individual to vote for a federal election. Schumer has mentioned the invoice is a nonstarter within the Senate, the place it could want 60 votes to advance over a Democratic filibuster.
Noncitizens are already prohibited from voting in federal and state elections, although some cities and localities enable noncitizens to vote in some native elections.
Trump’s alleged undocumented immigrants have improperly influenced elections, however experts insist such instances are incredibly rare, and voter roll audits main as much as the 2024 election uncovered only a few situations of noncitizen voting.
A number of Republican hard-liners within the Home wished to tie the SAVE Act to the federal government funding bundle that handed on Tuesday, however finally didn’t tie up the laws.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson, who was within the Oval Workplace with Trump on Tuesday afternoon, referred to as the invoice a “high precedence” earlier within the day.
“The president is expressing his frustration concerning the issues that we’ve got in a few of these blue states, the place election integrity will not be at all times assured,” Johnson mentioned at a information convention. “We now have to determine options to that drawback.”
When pressed whether or not which means a federal takeover is warranted, Johnson replied, “No, no, no.”
Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson, speaks throughout a press convention with members of the Home Republican management on the U.S. Capitol February 3, 2026 in Washington.
Win McNamee/Getty Photographs
Senate Majority Chief John Thune, when earlier Tuesday requested about Trump’s feedback about nationalizing voting, additionally pointed to the SAVE Act.
“I believe the president has clarified what he meant by that, and that’s that he helps the SAVE Act. So with respect as to whether or not that signifies making certain that solely residents of this nation vote in our elections, that is one thing I believe all of us agree with,” Thune mentioned throughout his weekly management press convention.
“There are different different views, most likely in relation to nationalizing and federalizing elections, however I believe on, no less than on that slender concern, which is what the SAVE Act get that — I believe that is what the president was addressing,” Thune added.
Thune vowed to place the SAVE Act on the ground for a vote whereas throwing chilly water on ending the filibuster to go the laws — one thing Trump has advocated for.
