MAGA activists urge Trump to consider martial law if they believe midterms are “rigged,” Axios reports

MAGA election activists with direct access to President Donald Trump are urging him to consider extraordinary measures, including martial law, if they believe November’s midterm elections are “rigged,” Axios reported Friday.

The proposals were discussed during a Sept. 30 video call streamed on Rumble. Peter Ticktin, Trump’s childhood friend and attorney, said there “would have to be martial law” in the event of what he described as another rigged election.

Ticktin later told Axios that authorities might need to commandeer ballots and election equipment. Activist Gregory Stenstrom suggested pausing the election or invoking emergency powers to force changes in how states conduct voting.

Tina Peters, the former Colorado election clerk convicted in a case involving a breach of election equipment, also participated in the call. She has promoted a plan calling for hand-marked paper ballots and manual recounts where feasible.

Axios noted that there is no evidence the upcoming midterms will be rigged and that several of the proposals go beyond presidential authority. Federal election dates are set by Congress, while states largely determine voting systems and counting procedures under federal law.

The White House told Axios that Trump believes every legal vote should count and that elections should be safe, secure and transparent.