❓WHAT HAPPENED: Election oversight in Michigan is under scrutiny as President Donald J. Trump and Michigan Republicans advocate for federal oversight, while Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other Democrats resist.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Gov. Whitmer, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), and Michigan lawmakers.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Discussions intensified this week in Michigan, with federal and state officials exchanging statements and letters regarding the 2026 midterm elections.
💬KEY QUOTE: “President Trump is 100% right because Michigan voters cannot trust Jocelyn Benson. She continues to fight against transparency and accountability, refuses to remove dead people from our state’s voter rolls and is happy to let noncitizens vote in our elections. ” – Aric Nesbitt, Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate (R)
🎯IMPACT: The debate highlights growing tensions over election oversight, as the Trump administration seeks to increase integrity and Democrats resist.
President Donald J. Trump this week floated the idea of federalizing elections to increase their integrity and security, arguing that some states cannot be trusted to administer voting fairly. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) has responded forcefully, rejecting any federal takeover despite issues in her state. In a video posted to social media this week, she said, “Let me be very clear: elections will continue to be run at the state level in Michigan. Any attempt by the federal government to take over Michigan elections should be seen for what it is – an attempt to take away your constitutional right to vote. Now, it’s not going to happen on my watch.”
Michigan Republicans countered that Trump’s proposal reflects legitimate concerns about transparency and accountability. Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt accused controversial Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) of mismanaging elections, saying, “President Trump is 100% right because Michigan voters cannot trust Jocelyn Benson. She continues to fight against transparency and accountability, refuses to remove dead people from our state’s voter rolls and is happy to let noncitizens vote in our elections. She’s the worst secretary of state in America and shouldn’t be running our elections without checks and balances.”
Last November, Nesbitt joined 21 other Republican lawmakers in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting federal election monitors and “comprehensive oversight” of Michigan’s 2026 elections. The lawmakers cited what they described as an “inherent and unavoidable conflict of interest,” noting that Benson is serving as the state’s chief elections official while running for Governor.
The debate intensified after Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, a Republican candidate for Secretary of State, reported in January that his office identified noncitizens registered to vote.
The Michigan clash mirrors a broader national fight over election integrity. Congressional Republicans have pushed legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, while Democrats have challenged such efforts in court despite overwhelming public support—including among Democrat voters—with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) comparing voter ID to Jim Crow.
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