Trump Suggests Federal Takeover of Detroit Elections

President claims 'horrible corruption' in city's election handling, offers no evidence

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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President Donald Trump alleged on Tuesday that there is "horrible corruption" in Detroit's handling of elections and suggested that federal officials should take over local responsibilities of administering elections. Trump cited no evidence for his claim and made the allegation while flanked by congressional leaders at a bill-signing ceremony in the Oval Office.

Why it matters

Trump's comments raise concerns about potential federal overreach and undermine confidence in the integrity of elections, particularly in Democratic-leaning cities like Detroit. The president's unsubstantiated claims of widespread election fraud have been repeatedly rejected by courts and election officials.

The details

The president's remarks came a day after he said in an interview that Republicans should "take over" and "nationalize" voting. Trump told reporters that "a state is an agent for the federal government in elections" and questioned why the federal government doesn't run them. He cited the 2020 election, claiming there was "rigged, crooked elections" in places like Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.

  • On February 4, 2026, Trump said in an interview that Republicans should "take over" and "nationalize" voting.
  • On February 5, 2026, Trump made the allegations about Detroit's elections during a bill-signing ceremony in the Oval Office.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who made the unsubstantiated claims about election corruption in Detroit.

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What they’re saying

“A state is an agent for the federal government in elections. I don't know why the federal government doesn't do them anyway.”

— Donald Trump, Former President (democraticunderground.com)

“Go to 2020. Look at the facts that are coming out. Rigged, crooked elections ... Take a look at Detroit. Take a look at Pennsylvania. Take a look at Philadelphia. You go take a look at Atlanta. Look at some of the places that — horrible corruption on elections. And the federal government should not allow that.”

— Donald Trump, Former President (democraticunderground.com)

What’s next

The White House has not provided any evidence to support Trump's claims, and it remains to be seen if the federal government will attempt to intervene in the administration of elections in Detroit or other cities.

The takeaway

Trump's unsubstantiated allegations about election fraud in Democratic-leaning cities like Detroit continue to undermine public trust in the electoral process, despite repeated rejections of such claims by courts and election officials. This raises concerns about potential federal overreach and the politicization of election administration.