Joe Scarborough used his Morning Joe platform to warn Democrats to “get ready and be prepared” after President Donald Trump said in a New York Times interview that he “should have” seized voting machines after the 2020 election.
He framed Trump’s remark as a clear signal of future intent rather than an empty hypothetical and urged Democrats not to “act shocked” if similar attempts are made around the 2026 midterms.
What Trump said
Trump told the New York Times he regretted not ordering the National Guard to seize voting machines or ballot boxes in key states after losing the 2020 election. He also reiterated his false claim that the 2020 election was rigged and suggested he “should have” acted despite being told there was no legal basis to do so.
Internal pushback in 2020
Trump pressed then-Attorney General Bill Barr about whether the Justice Department could take control of state-run voting machines, and Barr rejected the idea, citing a lack of evidence and legal authority. He also had Rudy Giuliani explore whether the Department of Homeland Security could seize machines, but DHS officials refused to entertain the proposal.
Scarborough’s prediction warning to Democrats
On the January 13, 2026, episode of Morning Joe, Scarborough cited Maya Angelou’s line that when someone shows you who they are, “believe them,” applying it to Trump’s renewed talk of seizing machines. He called on Democratic officials, lawyers, and fundraisers to “get ready and be prepared so it can’t happen,” explicitly tying Trump’s comments to the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.
Why this matters for 2026
Trump continues to promote efforts to restrict or eliminate electronic voting systems and mail-in ballots, positioning them as inherently fraudulent. Voting-rights advocates and democracy groups are treating his regret over not seizing machines as a warning sign that similar or more organized attempts could surface in future election cycles.
Can the U.S. government seize voting machines?
The federal government does not have a standing, general power to seize state and local voting machines, and current law makes such a move extremely difficult to justify outside of narrow, evidence‑based law‑enforcement or extreme emergency scenarios. Proposals floated after the 2020 election to use the military or federal agencies to take control of machines would have run head‑on into constitutional limits, federal statutes, and basic Fourth Amendment requirements.
