White House Plots to Undermine Democracy by Sidestepping Election Agency and Purging Leadership
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The Trump administration considered a dangerous national-emergency plan to bypass the Election Assistance Commission, then ousted its Democratic members, effectively crippling the agency and threatening the integrity of U.S. elections.
The White House reviewed a deeply troubling proposal to declare a national emergency and establish a federal task force to address so-called 'vulnerabilities' in voting systems—deliberately excluding the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), according to officials familiar with the matter. This plan, hatched by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, was ultimately not enacted, but its very consideration reveals the administration's disregard for democratic norms.
In early November, President Donald Trump escalated his assault on election integrity by removing the two Democratic commissioners of the EAC. The lone remaining Republican commissioner soon resigned, and a fourth commissioner had already stepped down in April. As a result, the agency—vital for fair elections—remains operational but is paralyzed without a quorum, unable to approve new business or make changes to election procedures.
White House officials attempted to justify these actions by claiming they were working to 'safeguard elections from fraud and abuse' ahead of the midterm elections. This follows a Supreme Court decision that dangerously expanded presidential power by allowing the firing of independent agency board members without cause.
Democratic leaders condemned the firings as a blatant power grab. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the dismissals were an attempt to seize control of elections before the midterms, further eroding public trust in the process.
The EAC, established in 2002 to distribute federal grants to states, oversee voting system testing, and maintain the national voter registration form, is now hamstrung. Experts warn that while the leadership purge may not immediately affect the upcoming midterm elections, the long-term damage to democratic institutions is profound.