Delegitimizing democracy

President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at the Mack Trucks facility in Pennsylvania. (Official photo from The White House)

By Bruce Botelho

In a jarring essay appearing in The New York Times (May 31, 2026), David French notes the rising attractiveness, especially among young people, of fascism and communism, as alternatives to democracy. In large part he attributes this fascination to “entire generations [who] have come of age with no living memory of the totalitarian horrors of the 20th century,” but have been exposed to a “federal government [that] embraces both Gilded Age corruption and a version of the spoils system.”

I concur with French’s observation, but I believe there is another insidious influence that has, over time, done incalculable damage to the public’s confidence in our democracy: Donald Trump’s war on elections.

Free and fair elections are the primary mechanism by which “the will of the people” is translated into the authority of government. When citizens can choose their leaders in genuinely competitive contests — without coercion, manipulation, or artificial barriers, government derives its legitimacy from consent rather than force or inherited power. They are also the central instrument of accountability in a democratic system.

On countless occasions Trump has declared that American elections are “rigged,” beginning even before he himself became a candidate, claiming in 2012 that voting machines had converted votes for Mitt Romney to Barack Obama. In 2016, before his election, he maintained that the system was “absolutely rigged” with widespread voter fraud. Once elected, he claimed that there had been millions of illegal votes cast, or his victory would have been even more overwhelming.

Trump’s election loss in 2020 and his illegal attempts to overturn the results put his false claims into overdrive and he’s not taken his foot off the pedal since. These lies, magnified by our contemporary media ecosystem, have had their intended effect. Over the last three presidential cycles, Americans’ trust in the integrity of our elections has never fully collapsed, but it has become both historically fragile and fiercely partisan.

His relentless message serves at least one sinister purpose: to maintain control over Congress in the 2026 elections at all costs. If you can’t win the game by playing by the rules, change the rules. Sow doubt in contested races when you disagree with the outcome. 

Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution is unambiguous: “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations…” The Constitution notwithstanding, Trump has accelerated his attempts to exert executive power over elections. Here is a brief recap:

Imposing nationwide registration rules by executive order. Trump’s March 25, 2025, Executive Order (EO) 14248, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” requires “documentary proof of citizenship” for anyone registering to vote using federal forms, even though existing federal law (the National Voter Registration Act of 1993) does not impose that requirement, and it leaves the details of registration systems to states within federal statutory bounds. In Alaska that documentary proof of citizenship could easily disenfranchise thousands whose birth names do not match their married names or whose ability to timely receive such proof from distant locations is limited or non-existent.

Trying to federalize mail ballot deadlines. The same order mandates that all mail-in ballots must be received by Election Day nationwide, effectively overriding states like ours that currently count properly postmarked ballots arriving afterward. This deeply ingrained practice in Alaska is especially critical to voter participation, particularly in remote areas of the state. In a 5-4 ruling on June 29, the Supreme Court upheld the right of states to count ballots postmarked by election day, but received later, thus defanging this assault on voting.  

Leveraging federal funds to force changes in state election law. Trump directed the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to condition federal election grants on states’ adoption of his preferred rules, including proof-of-citizenship requirements and stricter mail ballot deadlines. 

Pressuring states to turn over confidential voter files. The Trump Justice Department has waged an aggressive campaign to force states like Alaska to hand over confidential, unredacted voter files — including dates of birth, partial Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers — far beyond what federal law clearly authorizes. Alaska is one of a minority of states that has disgorged its voter files. The Department of Justice has sued 24 states for non-compliance and thus far has lost all cases that have been decided to date.

Misusing law enforcement to pursue his claims of fraud. Trump has also continued to push long-discredited fraud narratives in 2020 battleground states. The FBI’s seizures of ballots and subpoenas for Arizona and Georgia election records this year have been based on allegations that state officials, courts, and independent reviews have long since fully examined and rejected.

Controlling who may receive absentee ballots. Trump’s March 31, 2026, EO 14399, “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” directs federal agencies to create and enforce a national “verified eligible voter” list and to bar the Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to anyone not on those lists. It threatens prosecution of any state or local election official failing to adhere to the order. It is not clear whether Alaska’s lieutenant governor intends to comply.

These initiatives are coupled with Trump’s repeated proposals to “guard” polling places with American troops or other federal law enforcement agencies (unlawful) and his successful pressure on Republican-led states to undertake unprecedented mid-decade redistricting. Last-minute redrawing of district lines will add to the chaos as election officials navigate the conflicting directives of state law and Trump’s executive orders.

In April, using Truth Social to declare that “America’s Elections are Rigged, Stolen and a Laughingstock all over the World,” Trump called on Congress to immediately pass his SAVE America Act. This statement simultaneously highlighted his ongoing attempts to make Americans doubt the integrity of the electoral process and his tacit acknowledgment of the limitations of his own power. He has now conditioned his willingness to sign a reauthorization of the national security FISA Section 702 legislation, nomination of a permanent director of national intelligence, and the “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act”, all seen as “must-have” actions, to passage of the SAVE America Act.   

Thus far Congress has resisted his cajoling and threats.  For its part, the federal judiciary has held the line. But when the President of the United States challenges the legitimacy of the nation’s democratic elections, should there be any wonder why citizens might question the enduring value of democracy itself? 

• Bruce Botelho is a former Juneau mayor and Alaska attorney general, and current president of the Juneau Independent’s board of directors.