President Donald Trump took decisive action Friday at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, firing the two Democratic members of the agency and forcing the resignation of its remaining Republican commissioner after the bipartisan panel repeatedly resisted efforts to require proof of U.S. citizenship on national voter registration forms.
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The shake-up comes just months ahead of the 2026 midterms, as the Trump administration works to strengthen election security and close loopholes that have left the door open to non-citizen voting.
Votebeat, which first reported the news, revealed the contents of emails sent to Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, both Democrats at the agency, from the Executive Office of the President.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service,” the email reads.
NBC News reports that Republican commissioner Christy McCormick “received a call and was asked to resign.”
The three remaining members of a bipartisan federal committee that helps states and local officials administer elections were fired by the White House on Thursday, a move that could impact the midterms.
Read more: https://t.co/uTRvR4KuFN
Photo: Charlie Neibergall via Getty… pic.twitter.com/s4f7PhhXNL— Forbes (@Forbes) July 10, 2026
READ MORE: An Alien Voted Illegally in 2 Elections: Democrats Are Baffled
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The agency’s fourth commissioner, Republican Donald Palmer, voluntarily left the agency earlier this year. And on a commission with four commissioners, a quick check of the math reveals that there are roughly none left.
As such, the President has effectively shut down the agency’s ability to distribute federal funds, certify voting machines, or alter the national voter registration form. Such an unprecedented move marks the first time a president has fully cleared out the commission, paving the way for Trump to install new leadership focused on real election integrity.
The White House cited the recent Supreme Court Slaughter decision, which grants the President significantly expanded authority to dismiss members of independent agency boards without cause, in a statement to the Associated Press justifying the move.
“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,” the statement reads. “The Slaughter decision gives the President precedence to do so.”
Democrats, predictably, reacted in a bit of an apoplectic panic.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the move a “brazen attempt to seize control of our elections.”
“Donald Trump said Republicans should ‘take over the voting.’ Today, he took another step toward doing exactly that,” Schumer said in a statement.
Donald Trump said Republicans should “take over the voting.” Today, he took another step toward doing exactly that.
Firing every remaining member of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms is a brazen attempt to seize control of our elections… https://t.co/MlgKasRgtW
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) July 10, 2026
Full text of embedded tweet:
Donald Trump said Republicans should “take over the voting.” Today, he took another step toward doing exactly that.
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. He is gutting the independent agency that certifies voting systems and helps election officials run secure elections.
Senate Democrats will fight this power grab at every turn. The American people—not Donald Trump—will decide the 2026 election.
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Man, they don’t call him Cryin’ Chuck for nothing, do they? Is it “seizing control” or “wresting control from people uninterested in fair elections?”
President Trump has repeatedly warned that action must be taken to secure future elections, including passing the SAVE America Act, a key election-integrity measure that requires proof of citizenship and photo ID to vote.
“We can only lose the midterms if we allow ourselves to lose the midterms if we are foolish, stupid, and unwise,” Trump said in an Independence Day Eve address. “But if we terminate the filibuster as we should do and immediately vote for the SAVE America Act, then we will not lose an election for a hundred years.”
For now, he’s terminated the members of the Election Assistance Commission.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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