Trump’s call on Republicans to ‘nationalize’ elections is ‘outlandishly illegal’: Schumer

WASHINGTON

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday slammed President Donald Trump’s recent comments suggesting that Republicans should “nationalize” elections ahead of midterms.

"Just a few hours ago, Donald Trump said he wants to 'nationalize' elections around the country. That's what Trump said. You think he believes in democracy?" Schumer said on the Senate floor.

His remarks came after Trump called on Republicans to “take over” voting in at least 15 unspecified places, framing the move as a necessary “nationalization” of the voting process to address what he claimed are corrupt state election processes.

"Does Donald Trump need a copy of the Constitution? What he's saying is outlandishly illegal," Schumer said.

Schumer said one of the tools to "nationalize" elections is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a Republican backed proposal that would impose stricter voter eligibility and registration requirements.

"I want to be very clear: the SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the Senate, and every single Senate Democrat will vote against any bill that contains it," he added.

The 2026 midterm elections are scheduled for Nov. 3 and will determine all 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats.