Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
WATCH: Trump says he’s not considering declaring a national emergency to seize control of elections
Posted
February 27, 2026
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February 27, 2026
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0:53Now PlayingA draft executive order circulated by President Donald Trump's allies this week would give him extraordinary power over the 2026 midterm elections.
But when asked about the 17-page proposal, first reported by the Washington Post, the president said he wasn't considering it.
"Who told you that," the president said in a response to a question from PBS News about whether he was considering declaring a national emergency around the midterms, the basis for the plan laid out in the document.
The U.S. Constitution empowers the states to determine “the times, places, and manner” of holding elections, while Congress has a limited oversight role in regulating how states run federal elections.
The proposal, a version of which was reviewed in full by PBS News, claims to address election integrity issues caused by foreign interference. By declaring a national emergency, the document hypothesizes that the president could take control over some voting mechanisms in the country, including requiring hand-counting of ballots and voter identification at the polls.
The draft executive order would expand federal control over elections and almost immediately be challenged in court. Since the draft was made public, experts said such a proposal would be unconstitutional.
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