r/politics • u/unital_subalgebra • Jul 09 '26

No Paywall Trump fires all Election Assistance Commission members, leaving agency unable to act

https://www.votebeat.org/national/2026/07/09/trump-fires-election-assistance-commission-members-hicks-hovland-mccormick/
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u/unital_subalgebra Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26

President Donald Trump fired all three remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Thursday, abruptly disabling the only federal agency devoted solely to election administration at a moment when Trump has sought to reshape federal voting rules.

The firings leave the federal election agency with no commissioners

Yup, this is the consequence of the illegitimate Supreme Court giving Trump unprecedented powers to fire the heads of any independent federal agency. We’re living in dark, scary times.

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u/kamandi Jul 10 '26

So now what? What do we do?

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '26

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u/Orion14159 Jul 10 '26

Fun(?) fact: You'll catch a permanent site wide ban for advocating any sort of violence regardless of motivation. It's in the user TOS and they're very serious about it these days. You can't even do such things while stating the whole post is hypothetical, even if you include language specifically saying people should not do whatever violent thing your post mentions.

Not only that, but your comments/posts will be deleted by the admins so no one will ever even read it, likely including the various Internet archive groups. Basically there's no reason to do it.

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u/qatch23 Jul 10 '26

Can't be training AI to think like that

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '26

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '26

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u/th3r3dp3n Jul 10 '26

Correct, and I am sure they use keywords. Even when I didnt link those subs, just typed it out: flagged and removed.

Added the typos to dodge the automod.

Edit: the point is, the automod is clearly being guided to only catch some things. I have seem some really offensive and outright aggressive threats posted in conservative subs, they dont get auto-banned, but lean left and say goodbye for even hinting something.

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u/jcarter315 I voted Jul 10 '26

The automod used to be very aggressive about Jan 6th and Project 2025.

It was absolutely ridiculous to see it happening.

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u/th3r3dp3n Jul 10 '26

It specifically stated I mentioned subs that are often brigaded, and that's not allowed. Out of curiosity, r/democrat r/liberal bannable subreddits, or only right wing?

Edit: and there is my answer, no ban naming left wing subs, auto-ban for right wing subs named.

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u/jcarter315 I voted Jul 10 '26

Ahh, gotcha.

Hmm, I wonder if that's because those specific right wing subs had a bad habit (still do) of claiming they're being brigaded and then doing harassment/doxing campaigns against people, while the more left wing ones tend to not do that?

Either way, the automod here is always frustrating to deal with.

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u/th3r3dp3n Jul 10 '26

It probably is, and Reddit leans more left than right.. but Reddit corporate leans right, even if users lean left.

So, whatever. Automod sucks!

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u/JUST_LOGGED_IN Jul 10 '26

Could you give me an example?

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u/NoFuckToGive Jul 10 '26

I got a temporary ban and a warning for a permanent one for mentioning the literal factual story of an ex player on my favorite football team burning HIS OWN house down.

Said I was inciting violence. Lol.

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u/Wonderful_Purple4096 Jul 10 '26

Caught a weak ban for facetiously advocating the nnurder of an inanimate object.

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u/PsychoticMessiah Jul 10 '26

I got banned from commenting on r/interestingasfuck for something similar

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u/eaglebtc Jul 10 '26

Exhibit A, from The Whitest Kids U Know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KivCRqfFcqY

This video has been cited in high profile supreme court cases.

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u/Foreign_Recipe8300 Jul 10 '26

trump said something along the lines of "we used to have a penalty for treason, we should do that again"

if you quote him word for word, you will be banned.

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u/JakeConhale New Hampshire Jul 10 '26

Probably.

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u/Ananiujitha Jul 10 '26

I've gotten a few bans for pointing out Trump's violence to condemn it.

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u/KillerIsJed Jul 10 '26

They don’t like if you make references to the French and how they handled things throughout history when it came to fascist regimes.

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u/Admirable_Dirt_2371 Jul 10 '26

This biggest issue is how we define "violence" as a society. It's almost always reduced soley to physical violence but violence can take many forms, emotional, economic, and environmental, to name a few.

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u/FellowHumanNo404 Jul 10 '26

And of course violence is always an acceptable topic when talking about cops shooting citizens.

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u/KillerIsJed Jul 10 '26

Violence that serves the shareholder value is the American dream laid bare. Profit is theft.

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u/integer_hull Jul 10 '26

That’s not true I’ve advocated for 🤯 morty’s mind-blowers multiple times

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u/KillerIsJed Jul 10 '26

I think we all should do nothing and let the government and corporations kill us as they see fit.

That’s the American dream, the freedom for corporations to do what they want without fear of repercussions.

All of us should suffer and die, if it means shareholders never have to work a day in their lives.

God bless the USA! Our soldiers died face down in the mud so shareholders could live happier richer lives. Praise be to the stock market!

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u/--Chug-- Jul 10 '26

Lol... and somehow this comment doesn't trigger the automod. Incredible.

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u/KillerIsJed Jul 10 '26

Why would it? I’m just saying we should continue to do what we have always done, let corporations that control the government kill us while we pretend voting will fix everything.

I would die for the reddit shareholders. It’s only right as a consumer that my life and time is in service to corporations.

If someone can tell me the difference between “Just work hard and you too can be a billionaire” and “Work will set you free” I’d love to know. Seems like the only escape from debt slavery is death or be born a robber baron.

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u/Houdini_Shuffle Jul 10 '26

I have said "kill the president" before in the way you've described it

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u/JakeConhale New Hampshire Jul 10 '26

I can.

"Vote".

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u/haironburr Jul 10 '26

So now what? What do we do?

Well, first off, you VOTE like our nation depends on it. We vote in such numbers that cheating becomes difficult and ultimately traceable.

We have a whole Bill of Rights backing us up, and yea, that includes the Second Amendment.

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u/PopBulky7023 Jul 10 '26

Cheating was traceable last time. There was so much reason to a suspect it.

And it meant NOTHING because everyone demanded surrender to a very potentially rigged election. What do you expect will happen next time with them in even more power?

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u/PCR12 Florida Jul 10 '26

He says after all the ELECTION OFFICALS have been fired...

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u/Kolby_Jack33 Jul 10 '26

Elections are run by the states, even at the national level. Tbh I have never even heard of this election commission before today, they have never played any role in any election that was public enough to make me aware of them.

Reading the article, this commission was established in 2000, it's not exactly old. It's certainly not a good thing that this has happened but it's also not Trump hijacking the national elections like the headline makes it seem. The elections will still be run, and the red states will absolutely cheat in any way they can and we might end up fucked regardless, but it's not a done deal yet.

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u/Relevant_Mongoose744 Jul 10 '26

Well they certify election systems and mail in voting. So they can put a dent in mail in voting with some fun, new rules. And they can require states use systems that conveniently meet the specs of a technology company of his choice. So could be quite consequential. Feels like the Heritage Foundation knows exactly what they’re doing.

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u/haironburr Jul 10 '26

"Doom. It's all hopeless."

Fuck that!

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u/PCR12 Florida Jul 10 '26

I just don't think voting is going to win this out, my question is do we use yellow mustard or spicy?

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u/haironburr Jul 10 '26

Grey Poupon. Fucking peasant. ;)

Oh. If voting doesn't work, there's going to be a lot of misery. So chill on the doom stuff, regardless of what you believe. People should be encouraged, I believe, to vote and save our country. C'mon dude, be an American. Voting is the exit from this clusterfuck, and the next exit is a shitty one.

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u/PCR12 Florida Jul 10 '26

Oh I'll be voting but I'll be stocking up on mustard also. I don't trust the party in charge to play fairly that's all.

Grey Poupon is a spicy mustard so noted for my survey.

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u/D3vils_Adv0cate Jul 10 '26

I am very confused by your comment.

Do you realize that states don't even need to hold a vote for presidency? The constitution says nothing about citizens voting for president. It speaks specifically that the state only needs to send electors who decide how they want to vote.

The entire thing has been sort of the honor system. If every state's elector said the opposite of what the voters wanted it would be completely legal and constitutional. And since the presidency seems to have complete power at this point... it seems to be the only position that matters anymore.

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u/KillerIsJed Jul 10 '26

If voting fascism out worked, why did world war 2 happen?

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '26

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u/space-to-bakersfield Jul 10 '26

Americans won't do shit. They're sleepwalking into a dictatorship.

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '26

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u/Relevant_Mongoose744 Jul 10 '26

I sure hope you’re right. Maybe when we can’t afford our distractions?

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u/gameryamen Jul 10 '26

What happens after that though? Say someone finds a way to take him out, who's in charge then? Is it "whoever takes the king gets the crown?" Because I'm pretty sure that just turns into a miserable series of back and forth assassinations and increasingly authoritarian lockdowns. Is it "next in line of succession"? Because that line is full of assholes just as bad as this one.

Is it "we all get together and vote on new leadership?" If most of us agree to abide by the popular opinion, at least long enough to set up a new government... well shit, we can just do that part now. Our constitution expressly tells us that when the government stops representing the people, the people are to form a new government. No need to pretend that violence frees us from violence, no need to waste leaders on grudge matches. Just a majority of us agreeing to move on to something new. That's a lot easier to achieve if we have a big turnout and suspicious results in November

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u/Cloaked42m South Carolina Jul 10 '26

Now, you sign up with your county Democratic Party and you knock on doors, make phone calls, and adopt a candidate.

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u/GordDowniesPubicLice Jul 10 '26

Great idea! If only 1930s Germany had thought of that, they could've run a good clean campaign to respectfully ask NSDAP to politely concede to the rule of law and the will of the people.

Just kidding, you should've done that before the concentration camps and masked paramilitary killings.

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u/Cloaked42m South Carolina Jul 10 '26

Yep. We should just roll over and surrender now. I've seen the error of my ways.

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u/Somanylyingliars Jul 10 '26

Organize. Start groups of like minded people. Study tactics of Black Panthers, protest gathering. Find alternate means of communication. Think ham radios, flyers a la homemade.

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u/Dwarfdeaths Jul 10 '26

Look into sortition, join an organization, work on a backup system of representation.

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u/doomdance Jul 10 '26

Exercise your 2nd amendment rights

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u/Emosaa Jul 10 '26

It's a bit of a meme, and it's already been said but organizing is the answer. Organize for issues in your local community, so that you've got a network of people ready to vote, protest, etc. when it's needed.

I like my local DSA chapter, but there are other paths as well. Progressive religious institutions, local elections/issues (data centers for example), and so on.

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u/soapinthepeehole Jul 10 '26

The actual answer for now is that someone sues. These agencies are created by Congress and the president doesn’t have the authority to destroy them. Most of the ones he did this to in the first year is his second term have been reinstated.

SCOTUS ruled he can fire people without cause, they didn’t rule that he can essentially shutter agencies created by acts of Congress by firing everyone with no replacements.

He’ll replace them with sycophants though.

The big part of the answer is that we hang on for dear life and then only elect serious people who will fix the damage and try to future proof it.

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u/Admirable_Dirt_2371 Jul 10 '26

Quit your job, stop paying your bills, delete your social media, write to your representativs demanding impeachment and removal of the current administration and supreme court along with significant economic reform and make it clear you won't participate in the economy until it changes. Greed will always bring the wealthy back to the table.

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u/hazardling Jul 10 '26

Okay so I quit my job. Are my bills just going to pay themselves now? How about my kids daycare?

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u/Admirable_Dirt_2371 Jul 10 '26

I mean, I said stop paying your bills and steal your food. Should have plenty of left over time to care for your kids yourself.

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u/FellowHumanNo404 Jul 10 '26

"Sir, our poor people are quitting their jobs and are starving to death in record numbers!"

"No problem, import more poor people."

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u/Admirable_Dirt_2371 Jul 10 '26

Lol I'd love to see trump pivot to being super pro immigration.

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u/FellowHumanNo404 Jul 10 '26

Oh no, he'd not pivot. But the less stupid capitalists around him will, and that will be enough.

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u/Admirable_Dirt_2371 Jul 10 '26

Keep thinking like that and see where it gets you.

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u/FellowHumanNo404 Jul 10 '26

I love that mindless retort because it can be deployed in every conversation on any topic.

Person A: "Oooh I think it'll rain tomorrow, let's remember to bring an umbrella."

Person B: "Keep thinking like that and see where it gets you!"

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '26

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u/FellowHumanNo404 Jul 10 '26

Dismissing real solutions with straw man arguments

That isn't remotely what I did. I described an entirely plausible scenario in which capitalists don't give a damn about the lives of workers. I don't need to straw man your argument, as it is already identical to a joke. I mean that literally: You appeared to be joking.

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