Even after winning the 2024 election and returning to the presidency, President Donald Trump continues to deny that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, making claims that were debunked years ago.
The New York Times reported early on Wednesday that Trump, in addition to those claims, has empowered individuals involved in the election denial movement.
“The president has placed proponents of his false claims into government jobs while dismantling systems built to secure voting, raising fears that he aims to seize authority over elections ahead of next year’s midterms,” the Times reported, adding that an election denial activist Heather Honey has been given an official position.
It’s part of efforts by Trump to take federal control of election systems, which have historically been controlled at the state and local level.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
On Wednesday, Trump talked more about his “election security” plans.
Trump: “We can never let what happened in the 2020 election happen again. We just can’t let that happen. I know Kash is working on it, everybody is working on it. And certainly Tulsi is working on it. We can’t let that happen again to our country.” pic.twitter.com/xEjUjELz0p
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 21, 2025
“We can never let what happened in the 2020 election happen again,” the president said, implying that the FBI Director and the Director of National Intelligence are involved with the effort. “We just can’t let that happen. I know Kash is working on it, everybody is working on it. And certainly Tulsi is working on it. We can’t let that happen again to our country.”
There were some pretty scared reactions to Trump seeming to promise a federal takeover of elections, with the cooperation of the FBI and intelligence community.
This is pure tyrant stunting. He’s weaponizing federal agencies and allies to keep a lie alive, undermining the very foundations of democracy. It’s not “election integrity”—it’s a full-on blueprint for power grabs, and anyone who goes along is complicit in eroding the rule of…
— Charles Perreira (@CharlesPerreir7) October 21, 2025
Almost exactly a year out from the midterms, they’re starting to instill doubt in our proven safe and secure voting systems… https://t.co/Iz6nqOYVKg pic.twitter.com/RONTqM4JkR
— Ian Bragg (@IanBragg) October 21, 2025
Remember when I said an authoritarian takeover requires DOJ, the intel community, and the military?
Two out of three so far https://t.co/36eSWJ1Pqk
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) October 22, 2025
Without hyperbole, this is the single most ominous statement Donald Trump has uttered this year. https://t.co/fhjfLwrYx7
— Patterico (@Patterico) October 22, 2025
Photo courtesy of an X screenshot.
