Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries has declared that Democrats will prevent Donald Trump from 'stealing' the upcoming US midterm elections, following the former president's suggestion that Republicans should 'take over the voting' process. Jeffries made the remarks on CNN's State of the Union, accusing Trump of attempting to nationalise the election, which he translated as an effort to steal it.
Jeffries emphasised that Democrats have successfully blocked Trump's attempts to federalise the National Guard and countered Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts to their advantage. He asserted that the election would be free and fair, conducted by states and localities as per the constitution, which grants the president no authority over election administration.
The Trump administration has been filing lawsuits against states over voter roll maintenance and has made unsubstantiated claims of fraud, particularly in Fulton County, Georgia, where an FBI raid seized ballots and voter information. Jeffries also condemned Trump's racist social media post depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, calling for an apology and denouncing the behaviour as 'malignant'.
Senator Adam Schiff echoed concerns, stating Trump intends to subvert the election and may attempt to overturn results if Republicans face a 'drubbing'. Senator Mark Warner expressed alarm over Trump's potential interference in the 2026 election, questioning the presence of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard at the Fulton County raid, which he deemed inappropriate without a foreign nexus.
