How Trump is making top GOP officials 'look foolish'

U.S. President Donald Trump set off yet another controversy when, during an early February appearance on former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino's podcast, he called for the federal government to take over running elections in at least 15 different states.

Trump told Bongino, "The Republicans should say, 'We want to take over.' We should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting."

Liberal MS NOW columnist and "Rachel Maddow Show" producer Steve Benen was among the many Trump critics who attacked his proposal as blatantly unconstitutional. Trump's defenders, meanwhile, tried to explain Trump's comments, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).

But Benen, in a February 4 column, argues that Trump made his supporters "look rather foolish" when he doubled down on his "nationalize the voting" proposal.

"It can't be easy to work for Donald Trump," Benen comments. "It's not uncommon for the president to say something outlandish, at which point, his team scrambles to reassure the public that he didn't exactly mean what he said, only to have Trump soon add that his defenders are wrong and that his ridiculous comments were correct…. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the president was really just referring to a misguided bill called the SAVE Act, which would make it more difficult for Americans to register to vote."

Benen continues, "Leavitt's explanation was laughable, since Trump clearly wasn't referring to the legislative proposal. But the talking point had clearly gone out to the relevant partisans: House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune separately told Capitol Hill reporters that the president was actually talking about the SAVE Act, not a federal power-grab. A few hours later, Trump made those allies look rather foolish."

After the Bongino interview, a reporter asked Trump what he meant by "nationalize the voting" — to which he responded, "The federal government should get involved…. If they can't count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over."

Benen writes, "So much for the walk-back…. There's no reason for him to be confused about this: The federal government doesn't 'do' election administration because it would be illegal: The Constitution, which Trump swore to uphold, delegates power to the states to conduct elections."

• george conway
• noam chomsky
• civil war
• Kayleigh mcenany
• Melania trump
• drudge report
• paul krugman
• Lindsey graham
• Lincoln project
• al franken bill maher
• People of praise
• Ivanka trump
• eric trump