US President Donald Trump on Thursday fired the last two heads of a federal agency responsible for ensuring the smooth running of voting operations in the United States, according to media reports, as crucial mid-term elections are due to be held in November.
The Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a public agency created in 2002, is responsible for certifying voting equipment and distributing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid for elections, recalls CNN.
Donald Trump is in conflict with the EAC: he pressured the commission to include a requirement to provide proof of citizenship on voter registration forms. But his request was largely blocked by the courts.
The EAC is usually headed by four representatives from both wings of Congress. Earlier this year, two Republicans at its head resigned, according to the daily USA Today.
The two remaining members of this quartet, chosen by the Democratic camp, finally received an email on Thursday announcing their dismissal, according to the newspaper.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your term as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is ending effective immediately,” is written in this message from the White House, according to CNN.
The Democrats condemned this decision, deemed for example “irresponsible and dangerous” with the risk of “sowing chaos” by the Secretary of State of Arizona (southwest) Adrian Fontes.
For Virginia Senator (East) Mark Warner, “removing all remaining commissioners just months before the 2026 midterm elections is an extraordinary measure that requires an immediate explanation from the government.”
The executive director of the Brennan Center for Justice, Michael Waldman, found these referrals “particularly concerning, given President Trump’s continued efforts to attempt to interfere in the election.”
Any action by the EAC requires the approval of three of its four officials. Finding their replacements could, however, take months, advances USA Today.
According to the daily, the White House defended in a statement the president’s right “to fire individuals who are not fully aligned with the essential mission of guaranteeing the security of elections in America and ensuring that every legal vote is counted.”
