Donald Trump suggested on a conservative podcast released on Monday that Republican state officials “take over” and “nationalize” elections in 15 states to protect the party from being voted out of office.

Trump framed the issue as a means to prevent undocumented immigrants from voting. Claims that noncitizens are voting in numbers that can affect an election are a lie. But it raises concerns about potential efforts by the president to rig the November midterm elections.

While describing his victory in terms of counties he won in 2024 – and ignoring the vast difference in population between large urban counties and rural counties– Trump said of immigrants: “If Republicans don’t get them out, you will never win another election as a Republican.”

Trump said that immigrants “were brought” to the United States to vote, “and they vote illegally. And the, you know, it’s amazing that the Republicans aren’t tougher on it. The Republicans should say ‘we want to take over.’ We should take over the voting in at least many – 15 places – the Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.”

Riiiiight …