Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted President Donald Trump on Thursday after the administration removed the remaining Democratic members of the Election Assistance Commission, leaving the independent agency without any sitting commissioners just months before the 2026 midterm elections.

“Donald Trump said Republicans should ‘take over the voting,’” Schumer said in a statement. “Today, he took another step toward doing exactly that.

“Firing every remaining member of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms is a brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast. He is gutting the independent agency that certifies voting systems and helps election officials run secure elections.”

Schumer accused Trump of attempting to exert political control over the nation’s election infrastructure.

“Senate Democrats will fight this power grab at every turn,” Schumer concluded. “The American people—not Donald Trump—will decide the 2026 election.”

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican, accused Trump of purposefully removing election oversight.

“When you wake up every day and you just want everybody to call you king, elections are always going to feel inefficient,” he said on Thursday. “Donald Trump wants to eliminate oversight of his administration’s oversight, and that’s what this is about.”

The White House defended the dismissals by citing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Trump v. Slaughter, which expanded the president’s authority to remove commissioners from independent agencies. The administration argued that the decision gave Trump the authority to replace officials he believes are not aligned with his election security agenda.

“The President, and head of the Executive Branch, reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted,” a White House official said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “The Slaughter decision gives the President precedence to do so.”

The official added that it has been working “across all agencies and local partners to safeguard elections from fraud and abuse” ahead of the midterm elections.

The commission describes its work as helping “election officials improve the administration of elections and help Americans participate in the voting process,” and it does so by protecting election equipment and working with election workers.

The firings came after Republican Commissioner Christy McCormick resigned, leaving no commissioners serving on the bipartisan panel, which certifies voting systems, distributes election grants, and provides guidance to state and local election officials.

Trump has repeatedly warned that the 2026 midterm elections could be plagued by fraud unless Congress passes the SAVE America Act, which would require documented proof of citizenship to register to vote and require voters to present photo identification at the polls.

Meanwhile, Democrats have criticized the proposal, arguing it could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. They also contend that voter fraud is exceedingly rare and that Trump’s repeated claims of widespread election fraud remain unsubstantiated.