Trump Plans to Seize Voting Machines to Rig 2026 Midterm Elections

Former president aims to declare national emergency and take control of voting process to prevent Republican losses.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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According to reports, former President Donald Trump is planning to use an executive order to seize voting machines across the country in an effort to rig the 2026 midterm elections. Trump is aware that Republicans are likely to lose control of Congress, so he intends to declare a national emergency and claim the need to investigate foreign interference, allowing him to take over voting machines and disrupt the electoral process.

Why it matters

Trump's plan to interfere with the 2026 midterm elections represents a serious threat to American democracy. By seizing control of voting machines and disrupting the electoral process, he aims to undermine the will of the voters and maintain Republican power, even if it means subverting free and fair elections.

The details

Trump plans to invoke Executive Order 13848, which allows the president to impose sanctions and freeze assets in response to foreign threats to national security or the economy. He would then declare a national emergency, claiming the need to investigate foreign interference in the elections, and use this as justification to seize voting machines across the country. This would set off a chain of legal battles and leave election officials scrambling to find alternative ways to print and count ballots, potentially curtailing early voting and delaying results for weeks.

  • In February 2026, Trump told a podcast host that Republicans should 'take over the voting' in 15 or more places.
  • In March 2026, Trump issued an executive order declaring a national emergency related to the 2026 midterm elections.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who is planning to interfere with the 2026 midterm elections.

Miles Taylor

A former chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security who stated that Executive Order 13848 was only written to empower the president to impose sanctions, not to 'fiddle with elections.'

Abigail Jackson

A White House spokeswoman who defended Trump's agenda, stating that the only people who should be concerned are 'criminals' and that 'noncitizen voting is a crime.'

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What they’re saying

“The Republicans should say, 'We want to take over.' We should take over the voting in at least – many – 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.”

— Donald Trump (Dan Bongino's podcast)

“It basically means you're denied access to your property. The evidence would then be classified, and states would not be able to certify what they would not be able to access.”

— Miles Taylor, Former chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security (The Guardian)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Trump's executive order to be implemented, which could determine the fate of the 2026 midterm elections.

The takeaway

Trump's plan to seize voting machines and disrupt the 2026 midterm elections represents a dangerous and undemocratic attempt to cling to power, even if it means subverting the will of the voters. This case highlights the ongoing threats to the integrity of American elections and the need for robust safeguards to protect the democratic process.