Trump fires remaining election commissioners, media say

US President Donald Trump fired the two remaining commissioners at the Election Assistance Commission, the federal agency involved in voting equipment certification and election support, US media reported Thursday.

USA Today reported that the bipartisan commission is normally led by four commissioners, but that two Republican-nominated members resigned earlier this year. The two commissioners dismissed Thursday had been selected by Democrats, the newspaper reported.

CNN reported that one dismissed commissioner received an email from a White House official saying the position was terminated immediately on behalf of Trump.

Democrats criticised the move. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called it “irresponsible and dangerous,” and Senator Mark Warner said removing every remaining commissioner months before the 2026 midterm elections demanded an immediate explanation.

The Brennan Center for Justice’s chief executive, Michael Waldman, called the firings “deeply concerning” and said Congress had designed the commission to be bipartisan, with no more than two members from the same party.

CNN reported that the EAC was created in 2002 and certifies voting equipment while administering hundreds of millions of dollars in federal election support. USA Today reported that the commission requires agreement from three of four commissioners to approve actions and that filling the vacancies could take months.

The White House said in a statement reported by USA Today that the president “reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted.”