Former US President Donald Trump has expressed regret for not deploying the National Guard to seize voting machines following his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, a claim he continues to falsely assert was rigged.
The Oval Office Proposal
In a revealing interview with the New York Times published on Sunday, Trump revisited a controversial plan reportedly discussed in the Oval Office in December 2020. The proposal, urged by advisers including lawyer Sidney Powell and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, involved using military or federal authority to confiscate Dominion voting machines in key swing states.
The aim was to conduct a recount in states where Trump baselessly alleged voter fraud had occurred. Draft executive orders were even prepared, with one reported by Politico referencing conspiracy theories about Georgia and Michigan and directing the defence secretary to seize and analyse all election machinery and records.
Internal Resistance and Ultimate Inaction
The radical plan faced immediate and firm opposition from within Trump's own administration. Then-Attorney General William Barr was among the senior officials who reportedly "immediately shot down" the suggestion. Faced with this internal resistance, Trump ultimately did not move forward with the proposal to commandeer the voting equipment.
When questioned by the Times reporter about the unacted-upon threat, Trump responded, "Well, I should have." However, he then cast doubt on the capability of the National Guard for such a task, stating, "I don't know that they are sophisticated enough. You know, they're good warriors. I'm not sure that they're sophisticated enough in the ways of crooked Democrats and the way they cheat, to figure that out."
Persistent False Claims and Legal Reality
Throughout the interview, Trump persistently repeated the unfounded claim that he won the 2020 election, boasting "I won three times." While he has not questioned the integrity of the 2024 election, which he won against Vice-President Kamala Harris, he maintains the false narrative that the 2020 race was stolen from him.
This stance continues despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Election integrity experts have consistently stated the 2020 presidential race was the most secure in American history. Furthermore, dozens of legal challenges brought by Trump's campaign and allies failed to prove any widespread fraud in courts across the nation.
The revelation underscores the enduring controversy surrounding the 2020 election and the extraordinary measures contemplated in its aftermath, which were ultimately thwarted by institutional guardrails within the US government.
