MAGA activists are secretly urging Trump to impose martial law if Republicans lose midterms after 'rigged' election

Sign up to our DC Insider newsletter - your guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill Published: 09:52 EDT, 16 October 2026 | Updated: 10:16 EDT, 16 October 2026 MAGA activists are urging President Trump to consider martial law as they brace for what they believe could be another ‘rigged’ midterm election.The extraordinary proposals include seizing ballots and voting equipment, pausing the election and using emergency powers to force states to change how they run their elections.No evidence suggests the upcoming election will be rigged, and some proposed measures go beyond the president's legal authority, Axios reported Friday.Peter Ticktin, Trump's childhood friend and an attorney, raised the prospect of martial law during a September 30 video call with election activists.'There would have to be martial law' if there were another rigged election, Ticktin said. Republicans are staring at bleak prospects in November’s midterms with the latest polling numbers. The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s Senate forecast gives Democrats a 56 percent chance of taking control, while The Hill/DDHQ’s latest presidential approval tracker shows President Donald Trump with just 38.7 percent approval and 59.4 percent disapproval.Ticktin later told Axios that authorities might need to take control of ballots and election equipment to investigate alleged problems before anything else happened. The extraordinary proposals include seizing ballots and voting equipment, pausing the election and using emergency powers to force states to change how they run their elections Peter Ticktin, Trump's childhood friend and an attorney, raised the prospect of martial law during a September 30 video call with election activists Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters is one of the advocates. She became a prominent figure among election activists after being convicted in 2024 of crimes tied to a breach of election equipment in her stateFormer Colorado county clerk Tina Peters was also on the call.She became a prominent figure among election activists after being convicted in 2024 of crimes tied to a breach of election equipment in her state. Peters was released earlier this year after Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis commuted her sentence.She has since promoted a plan to switch to hand-marked paper ballots and manually recount votes where possible, arguing that doing so would reduce the role of voting machines.Peters met with Trump this month and previously visited the White House with Ticktin in late June.Gregory Stenstrom, who testified about alleged voting fraud in Pennsylvania following the 2020 election, said he wanted the election paused over security concerns.He also suggested Trump use the National Emergencies Act to force states to change their election procedures.The discussions also reflect how claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election continue to influence some figures in Trump's orbit.Heather Honey, who has promoted claims about election irregularities, now serves as the Homeland Security Department's deputy assistant secretary for election integrity.White House adviser Peter Navarro has also continued to promote allegations of fraud surrounding the 2020 vote.The White House told Axios that Trump believes every legal vote should count and that elections must be protected and transparent.But there are major legal hurdles to the proposals.Derek Tisler, counsel for the Brennan Center's elections and government program, told Axios that emergency powers do not give the president a free hand to take over elections.Congress sets the date of federal elections, meaning Trump cannot unilaterally postpone the midterms.States also determine their voting systems and how ballots are counted, subject to federal law.Tisler said declaring martial law would not give Trump the power to override state and federal election laws or seize election materials without legal authority.