Concern is mounting over reports that the FBI emailed election officials in all 50 states to invite them to a conference call with multiple federal agencies about the 2026 midterms — an outreach election officials reportedly view as unusual and concerning.
“The exact purpose of the call remains unclear. But it’s raising concerns after President Donald Trump called for state elections to be nationalized,” Crooked Media reported on Thursday. “The email is raising anxiety at a moment when Trump is calling for the federal government to take control of elections in 15 states, and dispatching the FBI to investigate the 2020 election in battleground state Georgia.”
“Election officials from every state received an invitation for the call on Feb. 25th, to be joined by Trump’s FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Election Assistance Commission,” according to Crooked Media’s Matt Berg. He added: “The email, which was obtained via public records request, was sent on Tuesday by an official named Kellie Hardiman, who gave her title as ‘FBI Election Executive.'”
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Berg published a copy of the email to social media.
“To prepare for the 2026 US midterm elections, your election partners at the FBI, DOJ, DHS, USPIS, and the EAC would like to invite you to a call where we can discuss our preparations for the cycle, as well as updates and resources we can provide to you and your staff,” it read.
“Last week,” NBC News, adding to the story, reported that “at a meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State, officials pushed back against a Trump administration official who spoke about supporting election officials’ work.”
Critics expressed deep concern.
Veteran journalist Jay Bookman described it as “extremely alarming,” and wrote: “It sounds like the Mafia declaring itself your ‘partner’ and inviting you to a meeting that you dare not refuse.”
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“Trump is very actively planning to rig the upcoming elections,” alleged attorney Aaron Regunberg, a contributing editor at The New Republic. “I guess we better keep funding the terrorist militia force he’s going to use to execute these plans without ever securing a single real concession.”
“The regime is now doing everything in its power to prevent the midterms from being free, fair and independent elections — if they even allow elections to occur at all,” argued MS NOW analyst Fernand R. Amandi.
“Better get ready, and at every level,” claimed professor and historian Steven Seegel. “The incumbent MAGA-GOP party-cult will allege fraud (‘stop the steal’) in advance, use ICE in strategic districts and locales, then escalate from voter intimidation to violence. That’s the basic set-up here for 2026. It’s premeditated.”
“Trump said he wants to nationalize elections and deploy ICE to Blue cities in swing states, which is his way of trying to steal the midterms, and every election after,” alleged health care activist Melanie D’Arrigo. “This is how it begins.”
Historian and associate professor Keith Orejel claimed the “maneuvering to try and steal the midterms is so clumsy and transparent.”
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