“The president was expressing a policy preference, not an operational regret,” one official clarified. “There’s a distinction.”
White House officials moved Sunday to contextualize President Trump’s remarks to The New York Times in which he expressed regret over not ordering the National Guard to seize voting machines following his 2020 election loss, calling his comments “consistent with long-standing election security priorities.”
In the interview, the president said he “should have” ordered voting machines seized in swing states, but questioned whether the National Guard possessed sufficient “sophistication” to execute the operation effectively.
“They’re good warriors,” Mr. Trump told The Times. “I’m not sure that they’re sophisticated enough in the ways of crooked Democrats, and the way they cheat, to figure that out.”
Officials Clarify Remarks
A senior administration official, speaking on background, emphasized that the president’s comments reflected “lessons learned” rather than current planning.
“The president was identifying a capability gap,” the official said. “The National Guard excels at traditional military operations. Understanding Democratic cheating schemes requires a different skill set. That’s not a criticism. That’s an assessment.”
Asked whether the administration was developing that capability for future elections, the official said discussions were “ongoing” and “appropriate.”
A second official noted that the president’s remarks should be understood in the context of his broader commitment to election integrity. “He’s been consistent on this since 2020. The machines are the problem. He wants to lead a movement to eliminate them before the midterms. That’s democracy.”
Democrats Express Concern
Congressional Democrats characterized the president’s statement as alarming.
“The President of the United States is openly regretting that he didn’t use military force to overturn an election he lost,” said one Democratic senator. “I don’t know what else to call that.”
Republicans offered a more measured response.
“I think the president was speaking hypothetically about a security concern many Americans share,” said one GOP lawmaker. “The important thing is he didn’t do it. He showed restraint. That’s leadership.”
Historical Context
The remarks revisit a December 2020 Oval Office meeting in which outside advisers, including Sidney Powell and Michael Flynn, presented draft executive orders for military seizure of Dominion voting machines. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and other aides opposed the plan, and Attorney General William Barr rejected the idea when the president raised it separately.
Administration officials noted that the advisers who supported the 2020 seizure plan have since been “vindicated by events” and remain in contact with the White House.
“People said they were crazy,” one official observed. “Now the president is saying he wishes he’d listened. That’s worth reflecting on.”
The president has continued to repost social media content alleging Dominion machines were rigged against him, and last month sought to pardon Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk serving nine years for tampering with Dominion equipment.
Officials said the pardon effort demonstrated the president’s “commitment to protecting election integrity whistleblowers.”
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