US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that American elections are “rigged” and “stolen,” renewing calls for sweeping changes to voting rules that he says are necessary to restore public trust in the electoral system. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump warned that the United States risks political collapse unless major reforms are introduced.“America’s elections are rigged, stolen, and a laughingstock all over the world. We are either going to fix them, or we won’t have a country any longer,” Trump wrote. In his post, Trump outlined three key demands under what he called the “Save America Act.” First, he called for mandatory government-issued photo identification for all voters. Second, he demanded proof of US citizenship at the time of voter registration. Third, he urged an end to most mail-in voting, allowing it only in limited circumstances such as illness, disability, military service or travel. Trump argued that these measures would prevent fraud and restore public confidence in elections. While several US states already require voter ID, the types of identification accepted vary widely across the country. His latest remarks follow comments in a recent interview in which he urged Republicans to “nationalise” and “take over” voting processes in at least 15 locations, though he did not specify which ones. Those comments drew criticism from election experts, who warned that federal control of local elections could undermine the independence of state and county authorities. Under the US Constitution, states hold primary responsibility for administering elections, although Congress can establish certain nationwide standards.
Democrats push back
Democratic leaders quickly condemned Trump’s statements. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused him of attempting to manipulate the electoral system for political gain. “What Donald Trump wants to do is try to nationalise the election. Translation: Steal it. And we’re not going to let it happen,” Jeffries said in an interview with CNN. Jeffries said Democrats had blocked Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps in what he described as unfair ways and had opposed attempts to expand federal control over election administration. According to US election data and multiple court rulings, no evidence has emerged to support claims of widespread fraud in recent national elections. More than 60 lawsuits challenging the 2020 election results were dismissed or withdrawn.