LANSING, Mich., April 1, 2026 — Today, state Reps. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) and Stephen Wooden (D-Grand Rapids) issued the following joint statement in response to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order attempting to assert federal authority over elections: 

“The United States Constitution grants states the authority to manage the times, places and manner in which federal elections are conducted. Once again, President Trump is attempting to bypass the Constitution by signing an executive order. Unfortunately for him, the United States of America is not a monarchy. We are a nation of laws, a nation of checks and balances and a nation that does not grant the president the power to unilaterally overhaul our Constitution with the swipe of a pen.

“Instead of enacting policies that the public supports, Trump is cutting taxes for billionaires, getting us involved in reckless and unpopular wars in the Middle East, starting trade wars with our biggest allies and calling the affordability crisis a ‘hoax’ — despite skyrocketing prices, a stock market in decline and a worldwide energy shortage that began as a result of a war that he started. It is clear that Trump is more out of touch with reality than any other president in American history. 

“This is not just an opinion. Recent polling shows historically low approval ratings for Trump, as the American people continue to be fed up with his administration. Instead of changing course on many of his most unpopular policies, Trump and his Republican enablers are attempting to place new restrictions on voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. By attempting to overturn nearly 250 years of election precedent, Republicans continue to show that they care more about retaining power than they do about American citizens’ right to vote in free and fair elections. 

“While it can be hard to not feel overwhelmed by Trump and the Republicans’ unprecedented assault on our democracy, we must not normalize or legitimize their illegal actions. Executive orders do not have the effect of law, and they do not take precedent over the Constitution. Any suggestion otherwise is patently false and a waste of our time.

“We will continue to speak out whenever Trump attempts to bypass the checks and balances outlined in our Constitution, and we look forward to continuing to make Michigan one of the nation’s leaders in conducting secure and accessible elections.” 

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