【Wen / Observers Network, Zhang Jingjuan】 U.S. President Trump recently stated that the Republican Party should "take over the election" and push for the "nationalization" of elections in certain areas. His staunch ally and former White House Chief Strategist Bannon (Steve Bannon) immediately publicly supported this stance.

According to the U.S. Constitution, elections are supervised by state governments rather than the federal government, with most election work carried out by county and local officials. However, since losing the 2020 presidential re-election campaign, Trump has repeatedly claimed that there was "massive fraud" in the election. He believes the federal government should increase its control over elections.

According to the U.S. "Politico" website, on April 4th, Bannon is one of the few Republicans who have publicly supported this idea. He also called on Trump to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel and the military to polling places across the country to prevent non-citizens from voting.

"This November, we will surround polling places with ICE. We won't let you steal the country again. You can complain, cry, or throw a tantrum, but we will not allow the election to be stolen again," Bannon said on his podcast on March 3rd.

Just one day later, Bannon reiterated his views and escalated them further, advocating for the use of the military to intervene in the election. On April 4th, he addressed Trump, urging him to ensure the "nationalization" of the election, saying, "Not only do we need to deploy ICE, but we must also mobilize the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions under the Insurrection Act, surround every polling place, and ensure that only those with identification, properly registered voters, and U.S. citizens can participate in this election."

It is worth noting that Bannon's call completely ignores the legal boundaries of the United States: U.S. law explicitly prohibits the deployment of the military at "any location where a general election or special election is held," and multiple states have laws making it a crime to carry firearms within or near polling places.

The "Insurrection Act" that Bannon mentioned was enacted in the 19th century, granting the president the power to deploy the military to quell riots in specific areas. This law has been rarely used since the founding of the United States, with the last use occurring in the early 1990s.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly mentioned invoking this law. Last month, he threatened to use the "Insurrection Act" in Minnesota, sending troops to the state, citing unrest caused by immigration enforcement actions resulting in deaths. However, he later backtracked, stating that "there is no need to use this law at the moment."

Bannon Screenshot from video

The report says that for several months, Democrats have expressed concern about Trump's tendency to send the military into elections, believing it could burden voters. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles denied such speculation when she spoke to Vanity Fair last year, calling it "completely false."

Trump's proposal is not just an isolated verbal threat, but a continuation of a series of recent actions. While Trump pushes for the "nationalization" of elections, his administration is also increasing pressure on Democratic-controlled states to share voter information with the federal government. Currently, the U.S. Department of Justice has sued nearly twenty states to obtain their voter registration lists, and the FBI has seized ballots from 2020 from an election facility in Georgia.

According to the report, after the 2020 U.S. election, Trump once considered signing an executive order directing the military to seize voting machines nationwide, but ultimately did not implement it. In an interview with The New York Times last month, Trump still remained upset about the matter, saying he "should have used the National Guard to seize ballot boxes," but did not clearly reveal whether he would attempt similar actions in the future.

Responding to Trump's call for the "nationalization" of the election, Democrats quickly responded. Democratic Senator Mark Warner said at a press conference that it was not about the 2020 presidential election, "in short, it's targeting the midterm elections."

Currently, the Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives. According to Associated Press, historically, the party of the president usually loses seats in mid-term elections.

House Republican Leader Mike Johnson said that as long as the states prioritize ensuring the fairness of the election, the existing election system "works well." He also defended Trump, saying that some Democratic-led states "did not do as well," which prompted "the president to express frustration... We are seeking solutions."

Senate Republican Leader John Thune claimed he firmly supports "decentralization" and does not support the "nationalization" of elections. He believed that hacking into 50 election systems is more difficult than invading a single election system.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7603217696884277810/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.