Trump allies are urging him to impose 'martial law' and seize voting machines if Republicans lose the midterms

MAGA election activists with direct White House access are openly advocating for martial law and the seizure of ballots if they deem November's midterm results fraudulent. Peter Ticktin, a childhood friend of Trump and attorney for Tina Peters — the convicted former Colorado election clerk — said on a Rumble livestream 'there would have to be martial law in the event of another rigged election.' Peters has met Trump at least twice since June. Legal experts say the president lacks authority to seize state election materials or override state election laws.

Ticktin went further in separate interviews, asserting that Trump 'is not going to relinquish control again' and that any civil war should mean 'martial law with our side in control of the armaments.'

Fellow activist Gregory Stenstrom, also on the call, proposed either suspending the election altogether or invoking the National Emergencies Act to force states to change how they administer voting.

The Department of Justice has sued California over a claim that roughly 20,000 likely non-citizens appear on voter rolls — an allegation California officials have rejected as unsubstantiated.