Trump looked to bypass federal election agency, report says

Key Points:

• The White House considered bypassing the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and using emergency powers to push voting system changes before President Trump removed the agency's leadership this week.
• Trump dismissed the two Democratic EAC members, leading to the agency lacking a quorum and being unable to approve new election procedures ahead of the midterms.
• The administration was frustrated by the EAC's delays in updating voting machine guidelines, refusal to require proof of citizenship on mail voter registration forms, and failure to address Trump's election priorities.
• Experts believe the leadership removal is unlikely to affect the November midterms, but it follows a Supreme Court ruling allowing the president to fire members of independent agencies without cause.
• Democrats criticized the move as an attempt to increase White House control over elections, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it a "brazen attempt to seize control" before the midterms.