How Trump could reverse the Voting Rights Act

Plus, House Oversight set to depose Ghislaine Maxwell |

VIEW IN BROWSER MS NOW DAILY Understand today's news Monday, Feb. 09, 2026   THE LATEST Trump wouldn't just undo the Voting Rights Act. He'd reverse it. By Hayes Brown Trump wouldn't just undo the Voting Rights Act. He'd reverse it. By Hayes Brown President Donald Trump set off alarm bells last week when he told a right-wing podcaster that "Republicans ought to nationalize the voting." Over the following days, even as the White House tried to tamp down the fervor, the president has repeatedly doubled down. There's a fine line between Trump's aggrieved ramblings and the seeds of an authoritarian scheme, so it's worth interrogating precisely what Trump is suggesting. Taken at face value, it would be the biggest change in how elections are run since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But instead of guaranteeing the franchise to all Americans in the face of racial injustice, the right to vote would be more of a suggestion for whomever Trump would see turned away from the polls. Trump's staff tried to claim that his initial statement to former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino was a mere endorsement of the SAVE Act, a bill that would require showing proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Republican senators likewise pretended the president was backing the SAVE America Act, which would also require photo ID when casting a vote. But Trump quickly undercut his allies in an extended interview with NBC News in the Oval Office. And when you consider the cities that he told NBC anchor Tom Llamas "have very corrupt elections," a certain pattern stands out.   This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest column. Read the full column here. TOP STORIES DAVID ROHDE AND LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ 'Trump is showing us the playbook': Officials scramble to protect against election interference Election officials across the U.S. are taking Trump's latest threats seriously, bolstering their defenses against federal efforts to block their constitutionally mandated role running elections. Read more. LEAH PAYNE Kid Rock's Super Bowl show is what happens when Christianity, celebrity and MAGA collide Trinity Broadcasting Network serves a global Pentecostal and charismatic audience with a taste for the glamour of celebrity culture —  and a high tolerance for scandalous figures. Read more. KAIVAN SHROFF Kamala Harris needs to do better than this The launch felt like another splashy consultant-serving, donor-driven project that sidesteps the real work the left needs to do to win back younger voters. Read more. CHARLES F. COLEMAN JR. The very simple moral at the heart of Trump's racist Obama video controversy It matters very little that the White House decided to delete the racist post from the president's social feed. Because it should have never been posted. Read more. TOP VIDEOS ALEX WITT REPORTS Epstein survivor doubts Ghislaine Maxwell will openly answer questions before Congress WATCH NOW ALI VELSHI Ex-Washington Post editor Marty Baron: Bezos' missteps are to blame for the paper's crisis WATCH NOW THE WEEKEND Trump has 'declared war on American cities': Chicago mayor signs flurry of orders aimed at ICE WATCH NOW ALI VELSHI DHS is using administrative subpoenas to retaliate against dissenters WATCH NOW MORE FROM MS NOW This week on "The Best People," Nicolle Wallace speaks with actress Rosie Perez for an honest conversation about the bravery of Minnesotans, the intensity of the Trump administration and the impact she's felt from canvassing to get out the vote. Listen now and subscribe to MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts for early access, ad-free listening, and bonus content. Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels are analyzing how culture and politics collide in their new original podcast, "MS NOW Presents: Clock It." The Washington power-players will take on the latest political news, the catchiest cultural moments, and how the two converge. Listen to the trailer and follow now. The first episode drops next Thursday. Subscribe to MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening and bonus content. 229 West 43rd St. New York, NY 10036 PRIVACY | CONTACT | UNSUBSCRIBE