Trump Just Disabled a Key Federal Election Agency Months Before Midterms
About this episode
Marc Elias discusses Trump's actions against the Election Assistance Commission and their implications for the upcoming midterms.
Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias breaks down Trump's firing of the remaining commissioners at the Election Assistance Commission, the federal agency that certifies voting equipment, administers a national backup voter registration form and provides expertise and training to state election officials. It's now legally paralyzed months before the 2026 midterms. Marc argues Trump likely has two main motives: sidelining nonpartisan election expertise (as he's done with vaccines, food safety and the military) and deliberately degrading state election administration to manufacture a post-election narrative. He also warns that without commissioners, the White House may try to pressure EAC staff directly.
People in this episode
Host: Marc Elias
Topics covered
- federal election
- Trump
- Election Assistance Commission
- midterms
- election administration
- political strategy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Election Assistance Commission
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