Many analysts are suggesting that the Democrats might perform quite well in the upcoming midterm elections this November, potentially reclaiming control of the US House of Representatives and maybe even securing a majority in the Senate. This isn’t really surprising when you think about it.
Typically, the party in power tends to lose seats during midterm elections. The Democrats are banking on issues like gas prices and inflation to resonate with voters. At the same time, they’re echoing dire warnings that the Trump administration may try to interfere with the election process.
The Brennan Center has been proactive, launching a podcast last September titled “Campaign to undermine midterm elections,” which highlights concerns regarding President Trump’s supposed attempts to disrupt the electoral process. Media outlets, including The New York Times and NPR, have picked up on these claims.
Recently, WBUR, Boston’s public radio station, shared concerns that President Trump might meddle in the midterms. Additionally, Protectdemocracy.org released a report on how the Trump administration purportedly plans to interfere with the elections, stating that federal institutions are increasingly at odds with democratic processes.
All of this may sound oddly familiar. It reflects ongoing claims since Trump first announced his presidential run nearly 11 years ago, suggesting that he aims to undermine “our democracy.”
Publicly, many express their anxieties about potential election rigging favoring Republicans by the Trump administration. Yet, I wonder if their deeper fear lies in Trump adopting tactics seen in the Biden administration’s election strategy since 2022.
I was a Program Manager for Executive Orders at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from February 2021 to February 2023. When President Biden rolled out an executive order regarding voting access, I recommended that the VA’s General Counsel reconsider the implications of the Hatch Act due to concerns about the political exploitation of public servants. They agreed but ultimately decided the order exceeded the VA’s mandate.
So, we stopped tracking that executive order in our biweekly reviews. That is, until spring 2022, when an official mentioned in a large virtual meeting their collaboration with Susan Rice at the White House targeting conservative states like Montana and Georgia, recognizing significant activity in Georgia.
Officials shared plans for a strategy to improve voter access, noting the importance of outreach and partnership with certain nonprofit organizations.
In a later briefing, it was hinted that the White House had plans to initiate a “Pilot Project” aimed at voter engagement after the 2022 primary but before the general election. Following that, they redirected resources from South Carolina to Pennsylvania, and in October 2022, an announcement was made about hiring 100,000 election workers.
What was expected to be a solid Republican advantage turned into a much lighter outcome in pivotal states like Georgia and Pennsylvania that were targeted with federal support.
In the 2024 presidential election, reports came from veteran facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin indicating their use for voting purposes. Instead of halting these activities, senior leaders swiftly dismissed the reports without any inquiries. Given the White House’s assertion about their approach, this reaction didn’t surprise me.
Now, Democratic advocacy groups are expressing heightened concern that the Trump administration may have secretive plans for the midterms. It somewhat feels like a transparent strategy to sway voter turnout. Some even argue that these strategies have historical ties to past election sabotage efforts. If the Trump administration seriously intended to manipulate this election, they might look to emulate the tactics previously employed by the Biden administration against Republicans.
Michael Collins retired after a substantial 34-year career in federal and military service.
