President Donald Trump has refused to rule out invoking national security to expand federal authority over the 2026 midterm elections, a remark that adds to mounting concerns about executive reach.
Wayne Allyn Root of Real America’s Voice proposed that the president declare a national security emergency to impose measures such as photo ID, proof of citizenship for registration, and limits on mail ballots.
Mr. Trump cut Root off and replied, Let me just say that stranger things have happened, a response CNN has sought to clarify with the White House.
The remark follows a string of administration actions and statements that critics say signal a push for greater federal control of voting. The president has emphasized the SAVE America Act even though the Senate has not passed it. The administration also threatened to block US Postal Service delivery of mail ballots for jurisdictions that would not provide voter lists, a move some states rejected on privacy grounds.
Federal courts have blocked the executive order linked to the Postal Service demand, and the administration has appealed to the Supreme Court. The White House has overseen seizures of 2020 ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, and Mr. Trump delivered a primetime address on election security that some interpreters saw as a foundation for further action.
Ty Cobb, who served as White House counsel in Mr. Trump’s first term, said he viewed that speech as a predicate to declaring an emergency. Journalists Marshall Cohen and Michael Williams have noted that the Constitution and long-standing court rulings make it difficult for a president to nationalize elections, since states run them.
Tariff Move Sweeps Brass Instruments Into Security Net
The Department of Commerce has proposed using Section 232 authority to treat brass instruments such as tubas, trombones, trumpets, and French horns as a national security risk, and to apply a 25 percent tariff on imports, parts, and accessories.
The six-page proposal uses the words national security nine times and links reliance on imported aluminium, copper and zinc to reduced domestic production and fewer critical supplies during emergencies. The list also includes items ranging from fire extinguishers to electrical cable components.
The Peterson Institute for International Economics reported that the tariff rate on all musical instruments reached 16.6 percent in the first quarter of this year, about three times the 2024 rate. Imports fell nine percent since last year and 20 percent since 2024, with brass instrument imports down as much as 27 percent compared with 2025.
PIIE noted price contrasts between US made and imported instruments, citing a nearly five thousand dollar US French horn versus a roughly six hundred dollar imported model. The institute illustrated that a 25 percent tariff on a five hundred dollar imported trumpet would add one hundred twenty five dollars in costs before other mark ups.
Critics say the move stretches the meaning of national security. John Mlynczak, president and CEO of the National Association of Music, told the Washington Times there was no logical reason for musical products to be deemed a security risk and called the material usage negligible. Observers warn the tariffs could raise costs for schools, community music programmes and families that rely on imported beginner instruments.
