Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Feb 9: US Senator Adam Schiff has cautioned that former President Donald Trump’s calls to “nationalize” American elections pose a serious threat to democratic institutions and could erode the United States’ credibility on the global stage as the country heads toward midterm polls.
Speaking on ABC’s This Week, the California Democrat said Trump appeared willing to interfere with the electoral process if Republicans fail to secure victory. “I think he’ll intend to try to subvert the elections,” Schiff said, adding that Trump would use every means possible to suppress voter participation.
Schiff urged Americans to treat the warning signs seriously, pointing to Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. “We saw him try, to the point of insurrection, to reverse the outcome of the last election,” he said, arguing that recent statements and actions indicate a similar strategy ahead of November. “He’s essentially telling us he plans to interfere in the next election,” Schiff added.
The senator stressed that the issue extends beyond domestic politics, warning that persistent claims of election fraud weaken faith in democratic processes and are closely scrutinised by the international community.
Raising concerns over recent developments, Schiff questioned the involvement of the Director of National Intelligence in an FBI operation that seized 2020 election-related materials in Georgia. He said the intelligence chief has no mandate in domestic election affairs. “That role is meant to focus outward, on foreign threats,” he said, “not to undermine domestic stability by meddling in elections.”
Calling the move unprecedented, Schiff questioned the rationale behind revisiting an election that had already undergone multiple reviews. “Why conduct a raid five years later when Georgia already had three recounts?” he asked, suggesting the action was meant to send a broader political signal. “The message seems to be: we won’t accept an election we lose,” he said.
Schiff also linked concerns over election integrity to immigration enforcement, stressing that federal agencies must not intimidate voters. “We don’t have ICE agents stationed at polling booths,” he said, emphasising that elections must remain free and fair.
He criticised Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville’s assertion that certain elections were “bogus,” a claim later amplified by Trump online. “This is simply the latest version of the ‘big lie’,” Schiff said, accusing Republicans of laying the groundwork to challenge results if they are defeated. “They keep telling Americans their own elections can’t be trusted,” he added.
Schiff rejected proposals mandating proof of citizenship or photo identification for voting, arguing that such requirements would suppress turnout. “It’s part of a larger effort to disenfranchise voters,” he said.
During the same programme, Republican Congressman Mike Lawler condemned a Trump-linked social media post featuring racist imagery of former President Barack Obama, calling it “wrong and deeply offensive” and saying it should never have been shared.
Schiff concluded by saying the ultimate responsibility for safeguarding democracy rests with voters themselves. “The last and best hope for our democracy is the American people,” he said.
For international observers, including audiences in India, the debate highlights how internal political struggles in the US can ripple outward, shaping global perceptions of America’s democratic strength and leadership.