Trump’s Effort to Steal the Midterms Is Getting Serious

Anti-voting activists are circulating an unconstitutional executive order draft that they argue could allow Donald Trump to take control over the country’s electoral systems ahead of the 2026 midterms.

The 17-page order, titled “Establishing Security, Integrity, and Transparency for United States Elections with Protections Against Foreign Interference,” was originally penned in April 2025. It argues that Trump could declare a national emergency to circumvent the national security “threats” posed by America’s electoral process.

The pitch appears to be contingent on a new component of MAGA’s 2020 presidential election conspiracy, blaming China for the alleged election interference.

The party, and its leaders, have already baselessly attacked mail-in voting and accused the country’s largest electoral software companies—Smartmatic and Dominion—of rigging their machinery to assist President Joe Biden. Both companies sued the media entities and Trump allies that touted the thoroughly debunked conspiracy, securing enormous financial settlements once it became clear that there was no fodder to fuel the bogus allegations.

“There is now clear and compelling evidence from court cases and forensic analysis that these threats have not been mitigated but instead have intensified,” the order reads. “Persons located, in whole or in part, outside the United States, and assisted by certain domestic accomplices, have exploited unmitigated vulnerabilities through unauthorized remote access to election equipment and related infrastructure despite claims from certain vendors, election officials and media assets that this is not possible.”

The order further blames the “manipulation of tabulated results,” the “casting of illegitimate ballots,” and “ineligible voter registrations” on the creation of the proposed executive order, arguing that the alleged violations constitute “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

That, according to the memo, is apparently enough justification to interfere with the country’s elections—until states comply with a broad list of demands that include requiring all intended voters to provide proof of “identity, U.S. citizenship, and current, permanent residency.”

When pressed about the possibility of actually following through on the MAGA-proposed effort, Trump asked reporters Friday: “Who told you that?”

“No,” Trump continued, noting that he was not looking into the idea. “I’ve never heard about it.”