Politics Weekly America Is Trump trying to rig the midterm elections?
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Sep 5, 2025 George Chidi, a US politics and democracy reporter for The Guardian, dives deep into Donald Trump's controversial proposals like mandatory voter ID and the ban on mail-in voting. Chidi discusses the potential motivations behind these measures, questioning whether they aim to ensure electoral integrity or manipulate the midterms in favor of the Republican Party. He highlights the impact of voter suppression tactics, especially on minority voters, and the chilling influence of recent changes in the Department of Justice. Chidi also speculates about the future of Republican presidential candidates amid these shifting dynamics.
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Trump Targets Mail-In Voting
- Donald Trump repeatedly promotes voter ID and bans on mail-in voting as fixes for alleged fraud.
- George Chidi and Jonathan Freedland note courts have blocked such attempts and evidence of widespread mail-in fraud is negligible.
Foreign Talk Influenced Policy Rhetoric
- Vladimir Putin reportedly raised mail-in voting with Trump, who then repeated those talking points.
- Chidi stresses mail-in ballots have not produced meaningful fraud and restrictions would burden voters who lean Democratic.
Limits Of Presidential Power Over Elections
- Trump's March executive order demanded states require proof of citizenship at registration despite lacking authority.
- Chidi explains the president cannot force states to change election procedures and courts blocked the order.