Trump’s Midterm Election Power Grab: How He’s Gutting Safeguards and Installing Election Deniers

When Donald Trump failed to overturn the 2020 presidential election, it was the steadfast resistance of career officials within federal agencies that held the line. But a ProPublica investigation, highlighted by MinnPost, reveals those critical defenders have been systematically removed or sidelined — replaced by Trump appointees who echo his baseless claims of widespread fraud.

In the months after his 2020 loss, Trump pushed federal agencies to find evidence that he had actually won. Experts at the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) quickly debunked these claims, informing Attorney General William Barr that there was no hacking or fraud. Barr relayed this truth to Trump, who refused to accept it.

Fast forward less than two years into Trump’s second term, and the landscape has drastically changed. Over 75 career officials who specialized in election security and integrity have been fired, reassigned, or resigned. In their place, roughly two dozen political appointees — many directly involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election or affiliated with election denial groups — now wield influence over federal election oversight.

CISA, once a bulwark against election misinformation, has been gutted. Employees focused on countering disinformation were placed on leave, and election security work was frozen and eventually dismantled. DHS justified these moves by accusing the agency of “electioneering” rather than protecting infrastructure.

Federal law enforcement agencies have also seen critical election-related teams dismantled. The FBI’s public corruption unit and Foreign Influence Task Force, both key to safeguarding election day integrity, were disbanded under Trump-appointed leadership. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division voting section, which enforced laws against racial discrimination in voting, lost nearly all its career lawyers and was refilled with conservatives who challenged the 2020 election results.

Behind the scenes, a group known as “Team America” — composed of political appointees loyal to Trump — has been actively seeking ways to expand federal control over elections, in line with Trump’s 2025 executive order aimed at tightening his grip on voting processes.

The result is a federal election oversight apparatus hollowed out and staffed by officials who have repeatedly pushed false narratives about election fraud. As Derek Tisler of the Brennan Center warns, false claims “coming with the seal of the federal government” could do lasting damage to voter confidence.

With the midterms looming, these developments are not just alarming — they are a direct threat to the integrity of American democracy. The very institutions designed to protect elections have been weaponized to undermine them. We must pay close attention and demand accountability before it’s too late.