Padilla Prepares for Potential Trump Effort to Control 2026 Midterm Elections
Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) is proactively preparing for the possibility that former President Donald Trump may attempt to declare a national emergency in an effort to seize control of the 2026 midterm elections from state control. Padilla is rallying his Senate colleagues for a potential vote to either support or resist any such emergency declaration.
Concerns Over Election Interference
The preparations follow reports that conservative activists with ties to Trump’s circle have been circulating a draft executive order. Padilla sent a letter to his Senate colleagues on Friday, March 3, 2026, stating that any such order would be “wildly illegal and unconstitutional” and would face “extremely strict scrutiny” in the courts. Los Angeles Times
Padilla has pledged to introduce a privileged resolution to swiftly force a Senate vote to terminate any “fake emergency” declared by Trump. He emphasized the need to defend the democratic process against potential overreach.
Potential Impacts of a Declaration
Padilla’s letter outlined potential actions Trump might capture under a declared emergency, including banning mail-in voting, eliminating voter registration methods, implementing voter purges and establishing new document barriers for voting. He argued that no president has the constitutional authority to unilaterally take over elections. Los Angeles Times
Trump’s Response and Previous Actions
When questioned about considering a national emergency declaration regarding the midterms, Trump responded evasively, asking, “Who told you that?” before stating he was not pursuing such an order. Los Angeles Times
Trump has a history of challenging election results and attempting to implement changes to voting procedures. During his presidency, he signed an executive order requiring proof of U.S. Citizenship for voter registration and sought to invalidate mail-in ballots received after election day, but these efforts were largely blocked by the courts. He similarly initiated lawsuits against both red and blue states seeking access to their full voter rolls, which also faced legal challenges. Los Angeles Times
Padilla’s Spanish-Language Appeal
In a separate effort to mobilize voters, Senator Padilla issued a rebuttal to President Trump’s State of the Union address in Spanish on February 24, 2026. He urged Spanish-speaking Americans to vote, warning that Trump is “trying to steal” the midterm elections. USA Today Padilla criticized Trump’s policies and warned against attempts to manipulate the election process. USA Today
Republican Concerns
While Democrats have strongly denounced any federal takeover of elections, some Republicans have also expressed reservations. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) previously warned against a president asserting sweeping authority over elections, noting that it could empower Democrats to do the same if they regain power. Los Angeles Times
Padilla expressed hope that his resolution would not be necessary, stating that Trump should focus on addressing the needs of Americans rather than pursuing “illegal and unconstitutional election orders.”