On Tuesday, President Donald Trump broached the notion of canceling future U.S. elections, heightening a persistent concern among critics regarding how he could attempt to curtail challenges to his authority in a potential second term. 

Trump introduced the idea during a speech to House Republicans at their annual retreat, then swiftly emphasized he was not advocating for such an action, framing his comments as a criticism of Democrats rather than a proposal. “They have the worst policies,” he stated in his address at the Kennedy Center to approximately 70 House Republicans. “The fact that we even have to run against these people—though I won’t say cancel the election, they should cancel the election, because the fake news would claim, ‘He wants elections canceled. He’s a dictator.’ They always label me a dictator.”

Trump’s remarks were part of an unscripted address that also included grievances about his polling figures ahead of the and new musings about serving beyond the constitutionally mandated two-term limit. Most polls indicate Trump’s approval rating lingering around 40%.

“I wish you could explain to me what on earth is going on with the public’s mindset, considering we have the right policies,” said Trump, who typically asserts that unfavorable polls about him are rigged. 

“You’ve got to win the midterms. Because if we don’t win the midterms, they’ll find a reason to impeach me,” he continued. “I’ll be impeached.” 

Federal law provides no leeway for a president to cancel or delay congressional elections. The timing of federal elections is determined by Congress, and election administration is handled by the states, with oversight from Congress and the courts. Even in emergencies like war or natural disasters, there is no explicit legal mechanism for a president to unilaterally suspend national elections.

But that has not deterred Trump from repeatedly entertaining the idea, which has raised alarms among Democrats and voting rights advocates.

During his first term, he publicly suggested delaying the 2020 election, despite lacking the authority to do so. More recently, in an August meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump appeared to express approval of Ukraine’s ban on elections under martial law, drawing laughter in the room but concern from his critics.

“So you’re saying that during war, you can’t hold elections,” Trump told Zelensky at the time. “Let me just note, three and a half years from now—so does that mean if we happen to be at war with someone, no more elections? Oh, that’s interesting.”

His remarks came on the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, where a pro-Trump mob stormed the building in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Trump’s 2020 election defeat—a result Trump has never acknowledged. During his Tuesday speech, he again falsely claimed the 2020 election was “rigged,” reiterating unproven claims of widespread voter fraud that have been dismissed by courts, election officials from both parties, and members of his own former administration.

“The election was rigged,” Trump told the House Republican Conference. “You should have voter ID. You need to insist on it.”

He added, “We need to fix this before it gets out of hand,” arguing that opposition to voter ID laws was evidence of corruption. “When someone says, ‘No, we don’t want voter ID,’ that means they’re dishonest,” he stated, without providing evidence.