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From Democracy Docket

The greatest threat to Donald Trump’s authoritarian dream is not the courts — it is free and fair elections. While the courts can stand in the way of his twisted vision for America, they can never completely halt it. Trump knows this.

Trump operates on the assumption that there will be no political check on his power. His plan to subvert democracy depends on the subservience of a Republican-controlled Congress. His worst nightmare is a scenario in which Democrats flip one or both chambers in 2026.

It was only a matter of time before Trump turned his attention to attacking free and fair elections. Election denialism is the foundation of his movement. Election subversion is essential to maintaining his power. Voter suppression is a tool Republicans have wielded against those who do not support him.

For weeks — almost since the day he was sworn in — Trump has quietly mused about attacking elections. He referenced “election integrity” in a sweeping White House memo targeting lawyers who litigated against his administration.

At an event announcing a new Hyundai steel plant in Louisiana, Trump used the opportunity to air his grievances about lawyers and voting rules. He claimed that lawyers had behaved “very badly, very wrongly.” As a result, he declared, “our elections are very dishonest, very corrupt.”

That was merely a prelude to the executive order he and his team issued the next day. Titled Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections, it is a rambling document that asserts powers the president simply does not have.