Trump Dismantles Election Assistance Commission Four Months Before Midterms
"If Democrats want us to stop talking about election fraud, I make them a simple deal. Pass the Save America Act and get voter ID and we'll stop talking about election fraud."
About this episode
Political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen delivers a scathing critique of Donald Trump's refusal to sign a bipartisan housing affordability bill that Trump himself championed during his presidential campaign. In a stunning reversal, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would not sign the legislation, which had been fully approved by Congress and which his own administration previously called one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history. The bill would have streamlined environmental reviews, removed restrictions on manufactured home construction, increased access to small-dollar mortgages, and barred large institutional investors from owning more than 350 single-family homes. Cohen systematically highlights Trump's pattern of breaking campaign promises, including his pledges to avoid new wars, lower grocery prices, and release the Epstein client list. The episode then pivots to Trump's dismantling of the Election Assistance Commission just four months before the November midterms, the only federal agency devoted to election administration. This action comes amid Trump's push for the Save America Act, which he claims would prevent Republican election losses for 100 years. Cohen argues that Trump's refusal to sign meaningful legislation while maintaining full government control reveals his true priority: accumulating power rather than governing effectively. The episode concludes with Cohen promoting his new book examining how Republicans abuse power while Democrats fail to wield it effectively, offering a blueprint for progressives seeking transformative change beyond restoring the status quo.
Key takeaways
- Donald Trump refused to sign a bipartisan housing affordability bill he personally campaigned on, citing his demand that the Senate pass his Save America Act instead.
- Trump's own administration had previously called the housing bill one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history before he blocked it.
- Trump dismissed all remaining commissioners on the Election Assistance Commission just four months before midterm elections, eliminating the only federal agency devoted to election administration.
- The Justice Department threatened criminal charges against state election officials over non-citizen voting, despite multiple studies showing such fraud is extremely rare.
- Trump claims his Save America Act would prevent Republicans from losing elections for 100 years by transforming federal control over state-administered elections.
- Cohen argues Trump has broken major campaign promises including avoiding new wars, lowering grocery prices, and releasing the Epstein client list.
- The commentary concludes that Trump prioritizes power accumulation over governing, refusing to deliver on campaign promises despite full government control.