U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to attend a Women's History Month event, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
President Donald Trump's administration is considering defunding a key election watchdog agency just in time for the 2026 midterms, according to a report.
CBS News reported on Thursday that the White House is mulling defunding the Department of Justice's federal observer program, which dispatches election observers across the country to protect the right of minority groups to vote. The move is being contemplated at a time when public polling shows Trump is losing support from key voting blocs, like young males, over recent moves, such as starting a war in Iran.
Meanwhile, Democrats continue to overperform in elections across the country. For instance, Democrat Shawn Harris bested Republican Clay Fuller in the first round of the special election for Georgia's 14th Congressional District, a seat that was previously held by Marjorie Taylor Greene. Harris and Fuller will face off again in a runoff election on April 7.
"The White House is exploring whether to cut spending for the program, sources say, in a discussion that comes as the country gears up for crucial midterm elections this November that will determine which party controls Congress," according to the report.
"As Republicans worry about the prospect of losing control of the House or Senate, President Trump is being lobbied by far-right activists who are encouraging him to declare a national emergency in order to assert federal control over voting in America," it added.