Donald Trump’s vow to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines isn’t just unconstitutional—it’s imported. According to Trump himself, the idea came straight from Vladimir Putin, who allegedly told him that mail-in voting makes “honest elections impossible” [Rolling Stone, July 2024]. That’s not reform. That’s sabotage. And it should prove to every voter—beyond a shadow of a doubt—that Trump does not belong anywhere near the White House.

Let’s be clear: Putin doesn’t do honest elections. He jails opponents, bans observers, and manufactures results [Freedom House, 2023]. His regime is a masterclass in electoral theater—where outcomes are predetermined and dissent is criminalized. For Trump to cite him as a model for American democracy isn’t just absurd—it’s a siren blaring in the dark. It’s the moment the mask slips and the blueprint is revealed.

But Trump didn’t stop at parroting Putin. He went further—claiming on Truth Social that states are merely “agents” of the federal government when it comes to counting votes, and that they must obey the president’s directives “for the good of our country” [NBC News, July 2024]. That’s not just wrong. It’s a lie. A dangerous, authoritarian lie.

The Constitution couldn’t be more explicit. Article I, Section 4 gives states—not the president—the power to determine the “Times, Places and Manner” of elections. Congress may intervene. The executive branch may not [National Constitution Center]. Trump’s claim isn’t a misunderstanding. It’s a calculated distortion—a power grab dressed in patriotic drag. It’s the kind of lie that erodes federalism, bulldozes state sovereignty, and concentrates power in the hands of one man.

This isn’t about transparency. It’s about domination. Trump wants to fire the referees, rig the scoreboard, and crown himself the winner. If his blueprint succeeds—banning mail-in ballots, dismantling voting machines, and centralizing hand counts under loyalists—the election won’t be a contest. It’ll be a coronation.

Mail-in ballots and voting machines aren’t flaws in the system. They’re safeguards. Machines provide audit trails and error detection [Brennan Center for Justice]. Mail-in ballots ensure secure access for millions—especially the elderly, disabled, and deployed. Gutting these systems doesn’t protect democracy. It guts it.

And here’s the deeper rot: Trump’s willingness to echo Putin’s tactics shows how easily he can be influenced—how eagerly he’ll adopt the methods of autocrats if it helps him cling to power. The image writes itself: Putin, the puppet master. Trump, the marionette. Strings pulled not by American voters, but by a foreign strongman whose regime thrives on fear, fraud, and force.

This isn’t speculation. It’s a self-confession. Trump didn’t just borrow Putin’s rhetoric—he bragged about it [Rolling Stone]. That’s not leadership. That’s submission. That’s not patriotism. That’s betrayal.

So let’s call it what it is: a foreign-influenced blueprint for authoritarian takeover, built on lies, distortion, and contempt for the Constitution. Every voter who values democracy should treat it like a five-alarm fire. Because if Trump’s vision prevails, the ballot box becomes a stage prop—and the vote becomes theater.

The question now isn’t whether Trump can be trusted. It’s whether we’re willing to let a man who takes cues from dictators and lies about the law rewrite the rules of our democracy.

The answer must be no. Unequivocally. Urgently. And with every tool of resistance we have.