Trump is working to gain unprecedented control of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections this fall through a series of new assertions of presidential power, including firing key leaders of the federal Election Assistance Commission on Thursday.

Despite polls showing voters favoring Democratic candidates by several points, Trump has said without evidence that the only way Democrats can win the November midterms and retake one or both chambers of Congress is if they cheat and that his efforts are necessary to prevent it.

Critics, especially Democratic lawmakers and some judges, say Trump is weaponizing the levers of the federal government, Congress and the courts to favor his fellow Republicans