President Trump arrives aboard Air Force One October 20, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Top Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees say they are operating under the assumption that President Trump and his allies are alleging fraud related to this year’s midterm elections in order to justify their election meddling.
“We’re assuming the president is going to do that. It would be irresponsible not to do that, speaking as someone who was present in the House on Jan. 6, 2021,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. “We assume that the president will not accept the results of what appears to be a very difficult election for him and his party.”
Speaking alongside Himes on Wednesday, Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said one way the president could do that: claim foreign interference in the voting process.
“President Trump has done more than any other president to ensure a free and fair election,” White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said in a statement to NPR. “As extremist Democrats and the media continue to ignore concerns about voter fraud, the Trump administration is taking decisive action to protect our elections, including prosecuting election crimes, strengthening election infrastructure security, and protecting vulnerable voters from fraud and coercion.”
When asked by a reporter if he would accept the election results earlier this month, Trump replied: “What do you think? Of course I will, but we don’t want cheating.”
Himes and Warner are members of the Gang of Eight, high-ranking lawmakers who oversee the nation’s spy agencies and receive classified information.
In a briefing for reporters, Warner and Himes said they made it clear to Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and other intelligence officials that they needed to be immediately available by phone on Election Day and afterward in case Trump alleges foreign interference in the election. Or, Himes said, if the president “decides to use allegations of foreign interference as an excuse to seize the ballot boxes, he will call into question the validity of the election.”
“If at noon on Election Day the president announces that the Iranians have undertaken an operation,” Himes said, “I’ll say on television, ‘I’m the Gang of Eight and I have received no such briefing, no such information, and I have no reason to believe that is accurate.'”
“Now, does this end the crisis? No, but it’s the first step,” Himes said.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., speaks during a House Select Intelligence Committee hearing on March 19, 2026. Himes says he expects President Trump to allege fraud in this year’s midterms in order to justify election interference.
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Both lawmakers said they were in close contact with senior Trump intelligence officials, even as they allege those leaders failed to provide Congress with legally mandated pre-election reports assessing the status of foreign election interference efforts.
“When Jay Clayton assumed his role as DNI, we requested and received the required classified summary of influence and interference,” Himes said. “We haven’t received a lot of the things we asked for,” he said, including the legally required status reports at 120 days, 60 days and 30 days before the election.
The ODNI office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lawmakers said they received a classified report Tuesday from the DNI’s office that detailed what they called a “grabbag” of intelligence on interference efforts, including the type of Russian and Chinese campaigns now expected in U.S. elections.
“The state of play, I would say, is that Russia, as on previous occasions, is going after Democrats, usually with disinformation,” Warner said. “Iran is probably more interested in disruptions in Europe. They have been more anti-Trump. China has been more selective, often on local election issues or smaller issues, often with Chinese nationals involved.”
Jay Clayton, left, shakes hands with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., following his confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence on July 15, 2026. Warner claims administration officials failed to provide legally mandated pre-election reports to Congress on foreign election interference efforts.
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Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images
Nonetheless, Himes said there is a “profound distinction” between these influence campaigns and actual interference in the election infrastructure itself, “which is messing with the voter rolls, with the machines…which is very, very difficult.”
Himes specifically pointed out that “we have never seen an operation actually intended to interfere and, at this time, we see neither the capability nor the intent to interfere.”
Their preparation for a possible fraudulent claim of foreign interference is part of a much larger election integrity effort by Democrats and good governance groups.
“There’s a plan there,” Warner said, noting that a constellation of more than 75 groups still meet regularly, “completely prepared by lawyers.” But he suggested that the responsibility to protect democracy goes far beyond good governance groups and lawmakers themselves, and extends to the press and the general public.
“I think for any potential incident, from the nomination of members of Congress to the recount after the fact, I know we both spent time with ex-military, intelligence, business leaders, civil society to make the case that if something happens, you need to speak out,” Warner said.
Asked if he thought Republican lawmakers would speak out, the senator said hope springs eternal.
“I think everyone realizes what’s at stake here. I mean, the irony of celebrating our 250th anniversary and this is the first year we’ve had a completely corrupt election?” » Warner said. “I think people know what’s at stake.”
Do you have information about midterm election influence or protection efforts that you would like to share? Contact Eric McDaniel on Signal at ericmcdaniel.92
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