Trump Officials Meet Election Deniers: A Plan to Rig the 2026 Midterms?

High-ranking officials in President Trump’s administration attended a private summit last week where 2020 election deniers urged him to declare a national emergency and seize federal control over the 2026 midterms. This isn’t speculation—it’s documented in a ProPublica investigation published February 27, 2026.

The Secret Summit: Who Was There and What They Wanted

On February 19, 2026, Michael Flynn—Trump’s former national security adviser and a vocal proponent of extreme election measures—convened a 30-person roundtable in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Gold Institute for International Strategy. Attendees included:

• Kurt Olsen, White House lawyer leading the reinvestigation of the 2020 election.
• Heather Honey, DHS official overseeing “election integrity.”
• Cleta Mitchell, head of the Election Integrity Network, known for pushing unsubstantiated fraud claims.
• Other federal figures like Clay Parikh (ODNI), Mac Warner (DOJ, who resigned the next day), and Marci McCarthy (cyber defense agency).

Videos, photos, and social media confirm they dined together afterward. Activists presented ideas to “transform” elections, splitting into camps: incremental changes vs. a full national emergency declaration to override state control. Flynn later posted online urging Trump to act, saying “We The People want fair elections” via emergency powers.

The Draft Executive Order: Banning Mail Ballots and Machines

Pro-Trump activists like Peter Ticktin and Jerome Corsi are circulating a 17-page draft executive order, claiming coordination with the White House. It alleges Chinese interference in 2020 as grounds for a national emergency, unlocking powers to:

• Ban mail-in ballots and voting machines “as vectors of foreign interference.”
• Mandate hand-counted paper ballots and strict voter ID.
• Centralize federal oversight, bypassing state legislatures as required by the Constitution.

Ticktin told ProPublica these efforts are “all part of the same effort.” Trump has previewed similar ideas, telling podcaster Dan Bongino Republicans need to “take over” and “nationalize the voting.” Courts blocked his prior March 2025 executive order on elections, and Congress stalled voter ID bills—so this could be the workaround.

White House Denials Amid Growing Coordination

A White House official called attendance “common practice” for hearing policy ideas and pointed to Trump’s PBS comments denying he’s read the draft or plans a national emergency: “I’ve never heard of it.” Yet Trump teased an executive order on Truth Social in February: “There be Voter ID the Mid Elections, whether Congress approves it or not!” Ongoing meetings since last fall—emails show Honey briefing her former Election Integrity Network colleagues—blur lines between officials and activists.

Why This Could Steal the Midterms

Election experts like Brendan Fischer of the Campaign Legal Center warn: “The same people who tried to overturn 2020 have grown better organized and are now embedded in government,” risking a reshape of elections or defiance of voters. With courts blocking other paths and midterms looming (primaries start soon in some states), a national emergency could impose hand-counts and bans logistically impossible mid-cycle, suppressing turnout—especially mail voting, used by millions. Hand-counting precincts exist for tiny jurisdictions (under 0.17% of voters), not nationwide scales like Maricopa County’s 2.5 million. This isn’t “integrity”—it’s a federal power grab dressed as security, perfectly timed for Republican midterm advantages. If Trump pulls the trigger, it could hand him control no Congress or court has approved.

Stay vigilant—share if you’re concerned about fair elections.