MEMO: SOTU WHAT TO WATCH: Trump Pushes Debunked Election Narratives in Agenda to Consolidate Power, Silence Dissent
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Cole Leiter, Americans Against Government Censorship
DATE: February 23, 2026
RE: SOTU WHAT TO WATCH: Trump Pushes Debunked Election Narratives in Agenda to Consolidate Power, Silence Dissent
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In his State of the Union address, President Trump is expected to recycle debunked election claims that he won the 2020 election to justify further weaponization of the federal government. This is not – and should not be covered as – a policy debate about elections and voting.
It is about clearing a path for corruption and self-enrichment.
President Trump’s attempts to federalize elections and make it harder for tens of millions of Americans to register and vote fit a broader and increasingly visible pattern: weakening the independent systems that provide democratic accountability while concentrating more power in the executive branch.
This push to federalize elections through the SAVE Act — and its copycat bills — is the latest front in the Administration’s multi-pronged effort to remove the guardrails that keep political power in check.
This New York Times headline said it well: “Republicans, Braced for Losses, Push More Voting Restrictions in Congress,” noting that this legislation is just the “opening salvo” in the Trump-backed effort to keep control of Congress. Even Republican leaders, such as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have warned against this brazen attempt to cling on to power, underscoring how unusual sweeping federal intervention would be.
By creating new federal gatekeeping over voter eligibility and threatening election officials with criminal penalties, the proposal shifts authority away from state election administrators and toward Trump.
The throughline is power — not protection.
In addition to pushing for more federal control over elections to weaken Americans’ ability to hold him accountable at the ballot box, President Trump and his Administration continue to pull at every lever of government to stop opposition and silence dissent. That includes labeling peaceful protestors – including Renee Good and Alex Pretti – and nonprofit organizations as “domestic terrorists” and targeting lawmakers who have spoken out against the Trump Administration’s actions.
The End Goal: Expand Power, Reduce Oversight, Enable Corruption
The Administration is attacking their perceived political enemies on multiple fronts, but throughline connecting these actions is clear: expand presidential power, weaken independent oversight, and create space for self-dealing.
And the scale at which this self-dealing is happening is massive. A House Judiciary Committee investigation found the Trump family has built an $11.6 billion crypto empire that generated more than $800 million in income in its first year alone. The centerpiece, World Liberty Financial, received a $500 million investment from the UAE “spy sheikh,” just four days before Trump’s inauguration. Approximately $187 million flowed immediately to Trump family-controlled entities.
The policy payoff from the President back to Sheikh Tahnoon immediately followed. Four months after receiving the $500 million, the Trump Administration reversed course and approved the sale of Nvidia’s most advanced chips to the UAE. Meanwhile, the SEC has paused, halted, or dismissed roughly 60% of crypto-related enforcement cases, including freezing its fraud lawsuit against World Liberty Financial’s largest individual investor.
The risk is clear: Trump and his allies are working to centralize control over elections, intimidate Americans who oppose their actions, and weaken institutional checks not just to gain power - but to create the conditions where corruption can flourish unchecked.
