Trump Responds To Claim He’ll Declare National Emergency Ahead of Midterms
President Donald J. Trump on Friday forcefully dismissed reports that he is preparing to declare a national emergency tied to the upcoming midterm elections, flatly denying knowledge of any such plan.
When asked about a reported draft executive order, Trump responded directly: “Who told you that?” He then added that he had “never heard about it.”
The exchange quickly drew a reaction from JB Pritzker, the Democrat governor of Illinois who is widely believed to be eyeing a 2028 presidential run. Pritzker reposted the clip on X and wrote: “Donald, you’re not denying it.”
The controversy stems from a report in The Washington Post alleging that pro-Trump activists have floated the idea of citing foreign election interference as grounds to expand presidential authority over voting procedures ahead of the 2026 midterms.
As the elections approach, President Trump has consistently emphasized election integrity, raising concerns about fraud and vulnerabilities in the current system. Republicans in Congress have championed voter ID reforms and stronger citizenship verification standards, arguing that basic safeguards are essential to protecting the ballot box.
While critics claim such measures are unnecessary, Republicans counter that preventing even isolated instances of unlawful voting is critical to maintaining public trust. The GOP-backed SAVE Act would, among other provisions, require government-issued identification to vote in federal elections — a policy that enjoys broad public support.
Earlier this month, Trump stated he intends to enforce voter ID requirements for the midterms, even if Congress does not pass the SAVE Act. He indicated he would pursue the effort through executive authority, though no formal order has yet been issued.
According to The Washington Post, activists supporting stronger federal action have pointed to alleged Chinese interference in the 2020 election as part of their rationale. Trump has long maintained that the 2020 contest was compromised, a claim disputed by multiple investigations and media outlets.
On Friday, Democracy Docket published what it described as a 17-page draft executive order dated April 12, 2025. The document reportedly outlines sweeping changes for implementation during the 2026 midterms, including:
- Exclusive use of paper ballots
- Stricter absentee voting regulations
- Mandatory voter ID requirements to verify U.S. citizenship
- U.S.-manufactured election equipment
- Non-networked voter registration systems
- A ban on electronic vote counting
Critics argue such proposals amount to federal overreach, noting that the Constitution grants states primary authority over administering elections. However, the Constitution also gives Congress power to regulate federal elections — the legal basis cited for legislation like the SAVE Act.
NAACP National President Derrick Johnson sharply criticized the reported proposal.
“This proposal is outright illegal, and it will not stand. The Constitution explicitly grants the power to regulate elections to state legislatures and Congress, not the president,” Johnson said.
He continued with a partisan broadside: “Trump is incredibly weak, pathetic, and overwhelmingly unpopular with the American people. That’s why he’s throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. And this spaghetti will not stick. His administration has so poorly failed us on the economy that his only option now, to maintain power in the midterms, is to resort to illegal orders.”
Yet economic indicators today compare favorably to the final stretch of the Biden-Harris administration, undercutting claims of widespread economic collapse.
Meanwhile, House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil defended commonsense safeguards.
“Americans should be confident their elections are being run with integrity—including commonsense voter ID requirements, clean voter rolls, and citizenship verification. These reforms will improve voter confidence, bolster election integrity, and make it easy to vote, but hard to cheat,” Steil said.
At its core, the debate underscores a broader clash: whether election security measures represent prudent constitutional reform — or political overreach. For President Trump and congressional Republicans, the answer is clear. Ensuring that only American citizens vote in American elections is not extremism — it is basic self-government.