Trump Says Republicans Should ‘Take Over’ Voting ‘In At Least 15 Places’

Key Concepts: Unfounded claims of illegal voting, Election administration, Nationalize the voting, Welfare fraud investigation, FBI raid on election office, 2020 presidential election integrity, Voter fraud allegations.

President Trump's Calls for Election Intervention

On Monday, President Donald Trump urged Republicans to "take over the voting in at least 15 places." This directive was coupled with a re-upping of his "unfounded claims that undocumented immigrants illegally vote for Democrats." Trump specifically alleged, "These people were brought to our country to vote," criticizing Republicans for not being more assertive in combating what he termed "illegal voting." He further called on the GOP to "nationalize the voting." While the precise meaning of "nationalize" in this context remains unclear, Trump has previously advocated for the federal government to assume control of election administration, traditionally a responsibility of state governments.

Context of Remarks and Continued 2020 Election Claims

These comments were made during Trump's appearance on the first podcast hosted by former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bonino since Bonino's departure from the agency. During the podcast, Trump reiterated his "false claims that he was the true winner of the 2020 presidential election." He asserted, "We have states that are so crooked. We have states that I won that show I didn't win," without providing specific evidence to support these broad allegations.

Specific Allegations: Minnesota

Trump specifically targeted Minnesota, claiming he won the state three times, despite having lost Minnesota in all three presidential general elections he participated in. He alleged that Minnesota is a "really rigged state with the Somalians and a theft." This statement referred to a "welfare fraud investigation in Minnesota involving some in the Somali community," attempting to link this investigation to broader claims of election rigging.

Specific Allegations: Georgia

Regarding Georgia, Trump stated, "You're going to see something in Georgia where they were able to get with the court order the ballots. You're going to see some interesting things coming out." This remark referenced an FBI raid that occurred last week at a Fulton County, Georgia election office, where agents were seeking 2020 ballots. The Trump campaign had previously forced a third recount of ballots in Georgia following the 2020 election and pressured state officials not to certify the results, which showed Joe Biden winning by a margin of 12,000 votes. Trump subsequently lost multiple legal challenges in the state aimed at overturning these results.

Legal and Political Repercussions

In response to the FBI's seizure of ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. announced on Monday that the county intends to sue the Justice Department. The lawsuit aims to challenge the legality of the seizure and compel the return of the ballots to Fulton County.

Conclusion

The video transcript details President Trump's continued propagation of unfounded claims regarding widespread voter fraud and a "rigged" 2020 presidential election. His calls for Republicans to "take over the voting" and "nationalize the voting" underscore his persistent efforts to influence election administration and outcomes. Specific allegations against Minnesota and Georgia, including references to a welfare fraud investigation and an FBI raid on an election office, highlight his strategy of linking unrelated or unproven incidents to his broader narrative of election malfeasance. These statements continue to fuel political and legal disputes, as evidenced by Fulton County's planned lawsuit against the Justice Department. For further details, readers are directed to Sarah Dorne's article on Forbes.com.