Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele has strongly criticized former President Donald Trump's recent comments regarding election integrity and the potential for declaring national emergencies. Steele described Trump's remarks as "simplistic stupidity" and warned that such rhetoric is leading Americans toward a "roller coaster to election hell."
During a segment on MS NOW's "Weeknight," Steele reacted to a clip where Trump responded to a suggestion from Real America's Voice host Wayne Allyn Root. Root asserted that Trump has the "right" to "take over" elections if the Senate fails to pass his proposed SAVE America Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship and photo identification for voting.
Trump's response to Root's assertion was, "Let me just say that stranger things have happened, OK? I’ll leave it at that." This ambiguous statement drew sharp criticism from Steele.
"What you just heard there was simplistic stupidity, OK?" Steele stated. "It was telling the president of the United States something that is just constitutionally and factually incorrect."
Steele elaborated that when a president engages in such misinformed dialogue and the best response is noncommittal, it signals a dangerous path. "You know you’re on a roller coaster to election hell," he remarked.
Steele recalled that concerns about Trump's intentions regarding election control have been present since the beginning of Trump's term. He specifically mentioned Trump's earlier threats to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would permit the deployment of U.S. military troops for domestic law enforcement. Steele warned that such actions could ultimately allow Trump to manipulate the voting process and "redesign" it according to his preferences.