Donald Trump vows to 'get rid' of voting machines as he repeats 'voter fraud' claims

US President Donald Trump has vowed to get rid of voting machines as he continued to make baseless claims of mass voter fraud in recent elections. His threat came ahead of crucial midterm elections next year, when Democrats threaten to wrest control of Washington from Republicans.

In a lengthy tirade on Truth Social, Mr Trump said on Monday (August 18): "I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we're at it, Highly 'Inaccurate,' Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election."

Mr Trump claimed the US is the only country in the world that uses mail-in voting, insisting all other countries gave it up because of the "MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD ENCOUNTERED".

He said efforts to get rid of voting machines would begin with the signing of an executive order to help bring "HONESTY" to the 2026 midterm elections, when voters will be choosing who they want to represent them in the House of Representatives and Senate.

The US leader added: "Remember, the States are merely an 'agent' for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do".

Mr Trump said Democrats were "virtually unelectable" without the mail-in "scam" because of their "HORRIBLE Radical Left policies", such as "Open Borders, Men Playing in Women's Sports, Transgender and 'WOKE' for everyone".

Mr Trump claimed elections could never be honest with mail-in ballots and everybody knew this. He vowed to fight like hell to bring honest and integrity back to US elections, adding the hoax of mail-in ballots using voting machines "MUST END, NOW".

The leader of the free world reminded Americans that without fair and honest elections and "STRONG AND POWERFUL" borders, they don't have a semblance of a country.

The president's comments came after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (August 15). Afterwards, Mr Trump said Putin had agreed with him on the need to end mail-in balloting.

Mr Trump has long promoted the false narrative that he and not his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, won the 2020 election.

For some time he has called on fellow Republicans to try harder to overhaul the voting system in the US. This is despite the fact that he has also voted by mail in some past elections. He also urged his own supporters to do so at the presidential election in 2024.

Democrats believe momentum is on their side as they head towards the midterms when historically the president's party loses ground. During Mr Trump's first term, Democrats flipped 41 seats to take control of the House in 2018.

Republicans currently control the House by a slim margin. Democrats need to pick up only a few seats to break the GOP's hold on Washington. The Republican-led tax break and spending cut bill has added to optimism among Democrats.

About two-thirds of US adults expect the new tax law to help the rich, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

However, Republicans remain confident and point to having fewer vulnerable seats than Democrats have during this cycle.

Only three Republicans hold House districts Democrat Kamala Harris won last year, while 13 Democrats represent districts Trump won. They also note Democrats' low opinion of their own party after last year's losses.