Schiff Warns Trump May Try to 'Seize Ballot Boxes' in Midterms

Democratic senator says former president will attempt to 'subvert the vote' in upcoming elections.

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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In an interview on MS NOW's 'The Briefing', Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) warned that former President Donald Trump will try to 'seize ballot boxes' and 'subvert the vote' in the upcoming midterm elections. Schiff said the administration's actions, such as subpoenaing records from Arizona and the FBI raid in Georgia, are part of an effort to establish a 'phony predicate' to interfere with or suppress the vote.

Why it matters

Schiff's comments highlight growing concerns about potential efforts to undermine the integrity of future elections, following Trump's repeated false claims about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential race. As the midterms approach, there are fears that some may seek to exploit vulnerabilities in the electoral system to sway the outcome.

The details

Schiff said the administration's actions, such as subpoenaing records from Arizona and the FBI raid in Georgia, are part of an effort to establish a 'phony predicate' to say the election system is flawed. He warned that this could lead to attempts to 'outlaw absentee ballots' or 'seize ballot boxes' in order to 'subvert the vote'.

  • The midterm elections are scheduled for November 2026.

The players

Adam Schiff

A Democratic senator from California who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who has made unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

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What they’re saying

“I think the subpoenas in Arizona, America, Maricopa County, the FBI raid in Georgia, this is all trying to establish some kind of phony predicate for them to say that the election system is so flawed, the machines don't work. There's too much fraud and absentee ballots that come November, they can nationalize the elections, they can somehow outlaw absentee ballots, or they can seize ballot boxes and they will have some pretext to do it.”

— Adam Schiff, Senator (MS NOW)

“So this is, I think, part of laying the foundation to interfere with, suppress the vote or ultimately subvert the vote. They understand, as we do in the Democratic Party, that they are likely to get clobbered in the midterms and, you know, they're willing to resort to anything.”

— Adam Schiff, Senator (MS NOW)

What’s next

Schiff and other Democratic leaders have vowed to remain vigilant and fight any attempts to undermine the integrity of the upcoming midterm elections.

The takeaway

Schiff's warnings underscore the heightened concerns about the potential for future election interference, as the country grapples with the lingering effects of the 2020 presidential race and the ongoing efforts to sow doubt about the electoral process.