National emergency in US? Trump could end up with extraordinary powers under executive order: Report
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Donald Trump could be preparing to declare national emergency over elections. Photograph: (AFP)
The United States could be staring at a national emergency, according to a draft executive order. Trump could take the step over claims that foreign countries are interfering in the country's elections. This will give him the power to ban mail ballots and some voting machines.
Donald Trump is reportedly preparing for a major power grab, as a report suggests that activists and the White House are working on an executive order to declare a "national emergency" over America's election. The Washington Post reported that "a 17-page draft executive order" is being circulated among officials, which alleges that "China interfered in the 2020 elections", and this is being used as a basis to declare a national emergency. If this happens, it would "unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting," The Post reported. Trump could ban mail-in ballots and certain voting machines in the November midterms. “President Donald Trump has repeatedly previewed a plan to mandate voter ID and ban mail ballots in November’s midterm elections, and the activists expect their draft will figure into Trump’s promised executive order on the issue," WaPo wrote.
Peter Ticktin, a Trump supporter and in favour of the executive order, told the Post that the "president is aware that there are foreign interests that are interfering in our election processes," and "that causes a national emergency". He added, "Under the Constitution, it’s the legislatures and states that really control how a state conducts its elections, and the president doesn’t have any power to do that."
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Trump wants Voter IDs and calls to end mail ballot
Trump has, for the longest time, claimed that elections are rigged in the country. The biggest and most controversial showdown happened after the 2020 elections when his false claims led to a riot at the Capitol during Joe Biden's confirmation as president. Trump has never publicly admitted defeat in the 2020 presidential elections, even though he has no proof to back his claims of rigging. The president wants to "nationalise the voting" and is pushing for Congress to pass a bill mandating voter ID. Called the Save America Act, the House passed it, but it is stuck in the Senate.
Also Read: Trump’s 'SAVE America Act' push draws sharp backlash from democrats, voting rights groups
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WaPo reported that the early version of the proposed draft cites an executive order from 2018 that "declared an emergency to impose sanctions on foreign entities targeting election infrastructure." It was extended by Joe Biden, and in 2024, the Treasury Department placed Iranian and Russian entities under sanctions using the order.
“There is now clear and compelling evidence from court cases and forensic analysis that these threats have not been mitigated but instead have intensified,” the proposed draft, dated April 2025, reads. "This constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
What White House said on national emergency claim
Ticktin told the outlet that he has had “certain coordination” with White House officials, but declined to elaborate. A 2021 intelligence review found that China contemplated influencing the US elections, but it did not happen. While the White House did not comment on the "national emergency" claim, it said that the staff is regularly talking to a variety of outside advocates, but that should not lead to such speculation.
