President Donald Trump said Republicans should "take over" the voting process in multiple states ahead of the November midterms.

Trump Calls To ‘Nationalize‘ Voting

On Monday, in an interview with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Trump argued that Republicans should exert control over election administration in numerous states.

"The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over, we should take over the voting — the voting in at least many, 15 places,'" Trump said.

He added, "The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting."

Trump again falsely claimed he won the 2020 election, saying, "We have states that I won that show I didn't win," despite courts and election officials finding no evidence of widespread fraud.

Administration Pushes Federal Oversight

The White House said Trump's comments reflected concern about election security, reported The Hill.

Spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Trump supports the SAVE Act and other proposals that would require proof of citizenship to register, mandate photo identification and restrict mail-in voting and ballot harvesting.

The Trump administration has also sought broader federal involvement by requesting state voter rolls.

The Justice Department has sued roughly two dozen states that declined to turn over voter data, citing concerns over sensitive personal information such as Social Security and driver's license numbers.

Schumer, Bacon Criticize Trump's Call To ‘Nationalize’ Elections

Top lawmakers from both parties pushed back on Trump's suggestion that Republicans should "nationalize" elections in multiple states.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the idea illegal and questioned Trump's commitment to democratic norms.

"Just a few hours ago, Donald Trump said he wants to nationalize elections around the country. You think he believes in democracy? He said, ‘We want to take over, the Republicans ought to nationalize the voting," Schumer said on the Senate floor.

He added, "Does Donald Trump need a copy of the Constitution? What he is saying is outlandishly illegal."

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said he also opposes federal control of elections, noting his support for state-led oversight.

"I opposed nationalizing elections when Speaker Pelosi wanted major changes to elections in all 50 states. I'll oppose this now as well," Bacon wrote on X.

"I work w/the NE Gov & Unicameral to ensure we have secure elections where every citizen's vote counts. This is what the Constitution calls for."

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Image via Shutterstock/ Joshua Sukoff