Donald Trump has called on the GOP to nationalize elections, which are currently run by states, as mandated in the Constitution. Many are alarmed by the president’s words, considering his continued quest to consolidate power and his inability to accept the results of free and fair elections.

In short, his desire to nationalize seems like a blatant effort to control their outcomes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the idea outlandishly illegal,” adding, “You think he believes in democracy?”

Related

GOP holds “free speech” hearing that devolves into anti-trans ideology while ignoring ICE abuses

Even top Republicans have publicly disagreed with the president on the matter. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said he is “not in favor” because it’s “a constitutional issue.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) tried to downplay Trump’s comments, claiming Trump was just expressing frustration “about the lack of some of the blue states, frankly, of enforcing these things and making sure that they are free and fair elections.”

While Johnson made wild accusations of election fraud with no proof, he nonetheless declared, “I do not want to see us nationalizing elections.”

Insights for the LGBTQ+ community

Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

And Americans don’t want to see that either. CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten, ran the numbers on whether Americans trust Donald Trump to run free and fair elections. Short answer: They don’t.

“They trust him about as much as they trust him to be modest,” Enten said, explaining that only 43% of American adults believe Trump is committed to free and fair elections, compared to 56 percent who do not trust him.

The numbers are worse among independents. “This is a group that Donald Trump has really been struggling with,” Enten said, “and when it comes to his commitment to free and fair elections, they absolutely believe he is not. We’re talking about two in three independents say no, Donald Trump is not committed to free and fair elections. We’re talking about just a third, just a third of independents believe that Donald Trump is committed to free and fair elections.”

He added that “it is the opposite for the Democratic Party, where you see the majority of Americans believe the Democratic Party is committed to free and fair elections.”

CNN host Sara Sidner said the numbers made it pretty clear where the country stands. “If that number doesn’t slap you in the face, I don’t know what will,” she said.

Enten also shared data showing that Americans were generally satisfied with how their local municipalities ran the 2024 elections. He called Trump’s proposal to nationalize elections “a terrible idea for the American people.”

Sidner also pointed out Trump’s massive hypocrisy: “What is fascinating about this is that Republicans have historically said ‘states’ rights’ and don’t want the federal government involved.”

It is Trump’s continued focus on federal power that prompted an Australian economist to recently call the Trump administration “the most interventionist government” and the “least conservative government” of his lifetime.

“When you are the richest country in the world, maybe you are not the ones who should be thinking about ripping down your existing institutions,” he said. “It’s those who are somewhat behind, but that’s what this president is doing.”

Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.