News/Commentary

Trump floats a dramatic move involving the midterms — and critics are already sounding alarms

August 12, 2026 | | Print Article

A question about a possible workaround on election integrity renewed outcry from the left as President Donald Trump suggested: “stranger things have happened.”

Despite majority control of Congress and overwhelming bipartisan support among Americans for voter ID, the Senate has stuck to its own agenda and once again has taken a recess without passing the SAVE America Act. As new reports of illegal aliens voting in elections continue to crop up and time runs out to address the issue before the midterms, a brief answer from the president was enough to make heads explode after he was asked about declaring a national security emergency.

During a phone interview with Wayne Allyn Root, the host and commentator reintroduced the idea of using executive power — not to delay the election — but rather to ensure the provisions of the SAVE America Act are applied in time.

“So let me put an idea in your head, okay? Because it’s so hard to get the Senate to do anything — now they’re on recess — they don’t get anything done,” expressed Root. “If they never get the SAVE America Act done, you have the right to declare a national security emergency for elections.”

The host went on to reference a Supreme Court case that ruled a one-house legislative veto of the executive branch violated the separation of powers. “And the Supreme Court ruled in 1983, under [President Ronald] Reagan, that INS v. Chadha –that if you declare a national security emergency as the president of the United States, they can’t challenge it. It can only be overturned by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress.”

“So, if you do this in the next month, we will get photo ID, proof of citizenship and a limit to mail-in ballots, and you don’t even need the Senate’s vote,” contended Root as the president spoke up, “Let me just say that stranger things have happened. Okay, I’ll leave it at that.”

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Monday’s suggestion was just the latest urging for Trump to declare a national emergency. As previously reported, allegations of Chinese election interference saw the idea floated earlier this year as a means to act where state governments have failed to stave off foreign entities impacting the outcome of elections.

Having long downplayed election integrity concerns and fearmongered about alleged overreach from the president, prominent voices in corporate media, elected Democrats and others chronically Trump-deranged saw fit to characterize the chief executive’s response as proof he “wants to take over American elections.”

Sharing the clip, CNN’s Jake Tapper included the caption, “There is zero reason to not take Trump at his word that he and his team are planning [something] alarming to disrupt the midterms and beyond,” before sharing past reporting on efforts to address mail-in ballots.

Similarly, as pundits furrowed brows at the president for not ruling out a national emergency, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) accused, “Donald Trump wants to take over American elections. Senate Democrats are prepared to combat his unprecedented illegal efforts at every turn. Your vote belongs to you. We will ensure it stays that way.”

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Kevin Haggerty
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