Trump's alarming four words on seizing elections light up internet: 'Take him at his word'

President Donald Trump's comments about the midterm elections and declaring a national emergency drew outrage on Tuesday.

Trump suggested during an interview with conservative television and radio host Wayne Allyn Root on Real America's Voice that he could enact the unprecedented move for the federal government to take control over elections.

"You have the right to declare a national security emergency for elections. If you do this in the next month, we will get photo ID, proof of citizenship, and a limit to mail ballots," Root, a MAGA ally, suggested to Trump.

"Let me just say stranger things have happened. I'll leave it at that," Trump said.

Media experts and political commentators questioned Trump's remarks.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper said it was time to take the president seriously.

"There is zero reason to not take Trump at his word that he and his team are planning sonething [sic] alarming to disrupt the midterms and beyond," Tapper wrote on X.

Journalist and conspiracy theory expert Mike Rothschild called out the comments.

"Once again, Donald Trump is not a wizard. He can't just manifest things into existence by saying them or with a tweet. There is no 'right' to do this in US law, nor is there any mechanism that would enable any of this to happen. Both people in this conversation are deranged," Rothschild wrote on Bluesky.

Others raised their concerns.

"Trump has no legal authority to do this, but that doesn't mean he won't try," criminal defense lawyer Scott Greenfield wrote on X.

"Not even hiding their intentions," wrote X account Wu Tang is for the Children, a political commentary account.

"So, knowing Trump lies about everything but continuing to support him anyway, does that mean you will have no problem with him calling a state of emergency in order to take over the elections?" X account Chippy D Pools, a frequent progressive political commentator, wrote.