Attorneys aligned with Donald Trump are reportedly encouraging the Republican president to declare a national emergency ahead of this year’s mid-term elections.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the way US elections are run and has for years pushed for changes to voting rules and procedures.
He also never formally conceded to Joe Biden following the 2020 presidential race, instead alleging widespread voter fraud—claims that have not been substantiated.
Earlier this month, Trump argued for tighter voter identification requirements in a post on Truth Social.
“The Democrats refuse to vote for Voter I.D., or Citizenship. The reason is very simple — They want to continue to cheat in Elections.
“This was not what our Founders desired. I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future.
“There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not! Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel.”
According to The Washington Post, attorney Peter Ticktin and other pro-Trump lawyers have drafted arguments claiming alleged Chinese involvement in the 2020 election gives Trump grounds to invoke emergency powers.
“There is now clear and compelling evidence from court cases and forensic analysis that these threats have not been mitigated but instead have intensified. This constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
However, it is important to note that there is no evidence that China interfered in the 2020 presidential election, which resulted in Biden winning the presidency.
Ticktin told The Washington Post that election rules are typically handled by Congress and state governments, but argued the circumstances he describes would warrant extraordinary steps.
“But here we have a situation where the president is aware that there are foreign interests that are interfering in our election processes. That causes a national emergency where the president has to be able to deal with it.”
Meanwhile, the Mail Online reported comments from White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson, who said the president wants voters to trust the system and emphasized maintaining accurate voter rolls.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring that Americans have full confidence in the administration of elections, and that includes totally accurate and up-to-date voter rolls free of errors and unlawfully registered non-citizen voters.”