The Briefing with Jen Psaki Panicked by bad news, Trump makes elections power grab and leaves staff sputtering with excuses
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Feb 4, 2026 
Dan Goldman, former federal prosecutor and current congressman, offers legal perspective on the Epstein files. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. senator and ex-state attorney general, pushes for accountability over ICE abuses. Marc Elias, election-law attorney and founder of Democracy Docket, warns about threats to free and fair elections. They discuss alarming moves to seize control of voting, ICE misconduct and investigatory leads worth pursuing.
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Trump's Call To Federalize Key Elections
- Donald Trump publicly proposed that Republicans "nationalize" or take over voting in targeted states to control outcomes.
- Jen Psaki and Marc Elias warn this would be an anti-democratic federal power grab inconsistent with state-controlled elections.
Enablers Make Election Grab More Plausible
- Trump is surrounded by officials willing to pursue his election-fraud theories and act on them.
- Marc Elias warns this creates real danger because those aides could execute a playbook to seize election materials and manipulate outcomes.
Tulsi Gabbard At Fulton County Raid
- Tulsi Gabbard was present during an FBI raid in Fulton County and later said her presence was requested by the president.
- Reporting indicates she is now studying voting machines and swing-state data for the administration.