Washington Post: Trump plan for state of emergency before midterm vote

According to the Washington Post, US President Donald Trump has a plan to declare a state of emergency, thus influencing the mid-term elections scheduled for this year, which could weaken him.

The American newspaper reports on a group of pro-Trump activists, who say they are in coordination with the White House, who are circulating a draft executive order with which the president intends to consolidate his power. The document would contain claims about alleged Chinese interference in the 2020 elections, which would form the basis for declaring a national emergency with which Trump would obtain extraordinary powers. The White House refused to elaborate on Trump's plans.

According to Peter Ticktin, a Florida lawyer who supports the draft executive order cited by the Washington Post, the emergency would give the president the power to prohibit mail ballots and voting machines as possible vectors of foreign interference.

Trump is pressuring Republicans to pass a bill requiring proof of citizenship to register as a voter and a ID card to cast a ballot. The measure, called the Save Act, passed the House but faces obstacles in the Senate, where Republican leaders rejected the president's call for rule changes to advance the legislation. Trump has said that if the bill fails, he will act unilaterally to force changes for the midterm elections.