Trump sparks US midterm fears with election body firings

US President Donald Trump stood accused Friday of trying to seize control of November's crucial midterm elections after he fired the last two Democrats on a federal agency that oversees fair polls.

Trump's brazen removal of the officials from the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission comes as he pushes for voting restrictions ahead of the midterms, in which Republicans could lose their grip on Congress.

The two commissioners nominated by Democrats received an email from the Trump administration dismissing them on Thursday, US media reported. 

The remaining Republican-chosen commissioner on the four-person panel resigned Thursday, after another resigned in April.

The White House defended Trump's move, saying a Supreme Court ruling last month gave the 80-year-old president expanded powers to fire members of independent government agencies.

"The President, and head of the Executive Branch, reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America's elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted," a White House official said in a statement to AFP.

The official added that the Trump administration was "working across all agencies and local partners to safeguard elections from fraud and abuse" before November.

Top Democrats vowed to fight what Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump's "power grab" over the election commission, which certifies voting equipment while administering hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support for elections.

"Firing every remaining member of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms is a brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast," Schumer said on X.

US Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said it was an "extraordinary step that demands an immediate explanation from the administration."

- Baseless claims -

Trump has stepped up baseless claims of election fraud, echoing his false claims that fraud contributed to his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

But Republicans fear Trump's near-record unpopularity, and the high cost of living sparked by his Iran war, could cost them control of the House of Representatives in November.

Trump had previously clashed with the commission over an executive order directing the agency to add a requirement for proof of citizenship to voter registration forms, a demand that was largely blocked in court, CNN reported.

To approve any actions, the commission requires agreement from three of the four commissioners, but it could take months to fill the vacancies, USA Today reported.

Trump's gutting of the commission comes as he shows mounting frustration over Congress's refusal to pass a package of fresh voting restrictions.

His so-called SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification at polling places, while imposing new limits on mail-in ballots.

Trump said Friday he would refuse to sign a landmark housing bill in protest, although the bipartisan measure -- which aims to tackle the cost of living -- is set to become law automatically on Saturday if he fails to sign or veto it.

While Republicans could lose the House in November, losing the Senate appears less likely, especially after the implosion of Democratic candidate Graham Platner's campaign in a key race in Maine.

Platner, a Marine veteran whose blunt anti-establishment message thrilled the progressive grassroots, quit the race after a rape allegation he denies.

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© Agence France-Presse