Trump ousts bipartisan commission in latest effort to reshape elections before midterm

Trump ousts bipartisan commission in latest effort to reshape elections before midterm. WASHINGTON — President Trump dismissed all remaining members of the bipartisan U.S. Elections Assistance Commission this week, his latest move to assert control over national elections in the final months before midterm voting. The White House defended the move as justified by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision handing the president greater authority to reshape independent government agencies, including by replacing appointed leaders. A White House official framed the dismissals in starkly different terms, saying the departing commissioners were "not totally aligned with the important task of securing America's elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted." It did not say when the president planned to appoint new commissioners. Newsom had said Thursday that Trump's efforts to seize control over elections represented a "five-alarm fire" that must be confronted. Trump's dismantling of the commission comes as he wages a much broader campaign to rewrite voting rules.