Trump Ousts EAC Members, Leaving Election Agency Leaderless Ahead of 2026 Midterms

President Trump fired two Democratic-appointed members of the federal Election Assistance Commission and, after a Republican-appointed vice chair’s June resignation, left the four-member panel short-handed and unable to take actions; with two vacancies, the commission cannot approve initiatives and could take months to fill, potentially hobbling federal election guidance and support ahead of the 2026 midterms. The White House says the president reserves authority to remove unaligned officials, while critics warn the leadership vacuum could undermine election administration.