Trump’s masterplan to undermine the elections

With a smirk and uncontrollable rage in his voice, the President of the United States unleashed yet another attack on a female member of the press. “You are the worst reporter… you’re a very dishonest organization, and they should be ashamed of you.” That’s what Trump said today in the Oval Office, snarling across the room at Kaitlan Collins, CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent, after she asked, “What would you say to the Epstein survivors who feel like they haven’t gotten justice?” And Trump, fully aware of the cameras and what he was doing, just kept going. He fixated on her face, sneering that she never smiles, that he’s known her for a decade and has never once seen her look happy, as if that small insult was enough to strip her of credibility in the eyes of his followers.

But that wasn’t the only unconscionable thing he said from the Oval Office today.

While still seated behind the Resolute Desk, Trump didn’t hold back about what is really on his mind: losing control after the midterms and laying the foundation for election interference before they even begin. He didn’t mince words: “If a state can’t run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it,” he said, gesturing to the Republican lawmakers lined up silently behind him, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Senators John Barrasso of Wyoming, Katie Britt of Alabama, Representatives Steve Womack of Arkansas and Tom Cole of Oklahoma. They stood there in quiet agreement as he continued. “Because, you know, if you think about it, the state is an agent for the federal government in elections. I don’t know why the federal government doesn’t do ‘em anyway.”

He kept going. “The federal government should get involved. These are agents of the federal government to count the votes. If they can’t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take it over.” And when a reporter reminded him that the Constitution gives election authority to the states, Trump brushed it off with a carefully worded string of propaganda: “You know what, they can administer the election, but they have to do it honestly.”

That’s the tell. He didn’t need to say the quiet part out loud, he just had to say the word “honestly.” Because in Trump’s world, “honest” doesn’t mean lawful, or fair, or constitutional. “Honest” means loyal to him. What he was signaling, in front of cameras, was that the only elections he’ll accept are the ones run by his federal government. The rest are fake by default. He knows his followers don’t need legal theory; they just need to know that any election he loses was neither free nor fair and certainly not honest.

And try as he might, there is no grey area here. Article I of the Constitution says, “The times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof.” States, not the federal government, are granted that power. Yes, Congress can regulate elections at the federal level in some circumstances, but what Trump is pushing for is an unconstitutional takeover.

When reporters pressed the White House for clarification on Trump’s fixation on illegally federalizing elections, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed Trump still supports the Constitution and was merely referring to the SAVE Act when he advocated for nationalizing elections. “I don’t think any rational person who’s being honest with themselves would disagree with the idea of requiring citizens of this country to present an ID before casting a ballot in a federal election, or, frankly, in any election,” she said. “And that’s something the president wants to see happen.”

Then she added: “The president believes in the United States Constitution; however, he believes there has obviously been a lot of fraud and irregularities that have taken place in American elections.”

The word “however” always tells you the truth. He “believes” in the Constitution, but only until it gets in his way. And he’s laying the groundwork to go around it by sowing doubt about every election system he doesn’t control.

This isn’t just talk. Ahead of the 2026 midterms, the Trump administration has already pushed for mid-decade redistricting to carve out more House seats for Republicans. They’ve pressured states to turn over voter data. And in a recent podcast appearance with Dan Bongino, Trump went even further: “The Republicans should say: ‘We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least 15 places.’ He described these unnamed state jurisdictions as `crooked. And even though he didn’t name the states, we know what that means. He’s talking about Democratic strongholds and swing states, the exact places where he needs to rig the outcome to keep Republicans the majority.

He continues to tell us in very plain language exactly what he plans to do. He’s going to attack this from every direction he can. Legislatively, politically, and tactically. And if that doesn’t work, he’ll try force using his personal military, ICE.

And this isn’t a guess. Steve Bannon recently said, “You’re damn right we’re gonna have ICE surround the polls come November.” That’s voter intimidation. And it’s how authoritarian regimes work: they make people afraid to show up, and then “win” by default.

This has been a growing concern of mine since the moment he was reelected. Because we’ve seen this coming. He told us back in July of 2024, “In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good. You’re not going to have to vote.” That was his promise. And I remember the moment I first heard it. Because I knew what that meant. I knew exactly what kind of leader says something like that, and what kind of government follows it. And I thought other people would hear it too. I thought there was no way the American people would hand him power again after that. But they did. And now we’re here, watching him make good on that threat by tearing at the fabric of our elections one thread at a time.

And the vehicle he’s using to make it all sound legal? It’s called the SAVE Act. That’s the bill Trump’s press secretary pointed to when reporters asked him why he was talking about nationalizing elections. It stands for “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility,” and it’s being sold as a safety measure that requires voter ID to protect elections from fraud. But it’s really a way to shift federal power into state-run elections by pretending it’s about fraud prevention. On paper, it would require anyone registering to vote in a federal election to provide documentary proof of citizenship, something that millions of eligible voters don’t currently have on hand, especially native populations, low-income voters, and elderly Americans.

Noncitizens are already barred from voting in federal elections. That’s already the law. The SAVE Act isn’t closing a loophole; it’s creating a barrier to restrict legitimate voters from being able to access the ballot. It’s doing exactly what voter suppression laws have always done: targeting the marginalized. And restricting the handful of voters in each state that could swing a close race. And under the SAVE Act, even if you’re a legal voter, even if you’ve voted in federal elections for decades, your right to vote could be delayed or denied if you can’t provide the exact paperwork they ask for, exactly when they demand it.

And that’s just the front-facing part of it. The bill also creates national mechanisms for sharing voter data across states, something Trump’s team has been pushing behind the scenes for months. At least 24 states have already been pressured to turn over their rolls. And once that data is centralized, the risk isn’t just disenfranchisement. It’s surveillance and a clear path to manipulation. It’s the creation of a federal list that can be altered, filtered, or purged without the consent of state election boards. It’s terrifying to think what could happen if this kind of list ends up in the hands of Trump-loyal operatives.

Republicans in the House already passed the bill. Senate Republicans are lining up to support it, with Trump allies calling it a “top priority.” And even though it doesn’t yet have the votes to overcome a filibuster, the pressure campaign is working. Some lawmakers are floating ways to bypass Senate rules, including the return of a standing filibuster; an old-school tactic where opponents of a bill have to physically stand and speak on the Senate floor to block it, instead of simply invoking a silent objection. It’s not about protecting our elections. It’s about what they can get away with while they are still in control, and how to make sure they never lose that hold on our government again.

And in addition to the SAVE Act, there’s the MEGA Act, the so-called “Make Elections Great Again Act.” I shared more about it not too long ago, but it’s the other bill, packed with election restrictions designed to sound harmless but function like a blueprint for disenfranchisement. It would ban ranked-choice voting, eliminate universal vote-by-mail, require federal voter ID, and mandate regular purges of voter rolls. It’s part of the larger pattern: restrict access, centralize power, and label anything outside Trump’s control as illegitimate. It’s another tool to tighten the grip.

They’re throwing everything they’ve got at the wall right now. Because they know if elections happened today, there’s a very good chance we’d see a repeat of last November, a clean sweep for Democrats. Even with Trump still sitting in the White House, that would gut his power and leave him functionally sidelined. A president with no congressional backing can’t rule by fear alone. That’s why they’re scrambling, and why it’s going to get worse before the midterms. And that’s why we have to throw everything we’ve got at stopping these bills from passing.

We must demand our representatives vote no. Whoever your member of Congress is, they need to hear from you now. This is a five-alarm fire. We don’t get a second chance to put it out.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all bad news. Because even as things feel like they’re spiraling here, two moments reminded me we are not alone in this fight.

In the UK, the government referred new Epstein-related evidence to police, evidence that implicates longtime political figure Peter Mandelson in what could be serious criminal misconduct. According to documents from the latest release, Mandelson had repeated contact with Epstein, allegedly leaked sensitive economic data during the financial crisis, and received three payments totaling $75,000 to accounts linked to him or his partner. The UK Cabinet Office handed over those records, including one message in which Mandelson told Epstein, “sources tell me 500 b euro bailout,” hours before European governments made it public. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned him, and Metropolitan Police announced they’ve launched a formal criminal investigation into Mandelson for misconduct in public office. For once, a government isn’t sweeping Epstein connections under the rug. They’re handing them to the police.

And in France, prosecutors raided the offices of X (formerly Twitter) as part of an investigation into the distribution of child abuse imagery, AI-generated deepfakes, and Holocaust denial. Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to a legal hearing on April 20 as part of a real investigation with potentially real accountability.

Both of these stories matter because they remind us of how this is supposed to work. America is currently falling apart, and the rest of the world isn’t sitting back and waiting for us to get it together and take care of this. The rest of the world isn’t just sitting back and letting authoritarianism take over unchecked by these out-of-control men. They are pursuing the truth. They are holding them accountable. And in some ways, they’re fighting for us too. And that is what gives me hope for America, and it should for you, too.

I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather

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This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.