Expert issues stark warning after JD Vance reveals Trump admin's 'mindset' for midterms

A voting-rights expert issued a stark warning during a podcast interview on Sunday as Vice President JD Vance prepares to travel to Hungary this week.

Fox News reported that Vance plans to visit Budapest from April 7 to 8, where he will meet with dictator Viktor Orban and deliver remarks about the "rich partnership" between Hungary and the U.S. ahead of the upcoming national elections. Marc Elias, a lawyer and founder of Elias Law Group, said on a new episode of the "Democracy Watch" podcast with progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen that Vance's upcoming trip to Hungary revealed the Trump administration's "mindset" ahead of the November midterms.

Elias argued that Vance's appearance showed he is "campaigning" for Orban, whom the Trump administration views as a model for its governing style.

"If that doesn't tell you what their mindset is, they don't want there to be free and fair elections," Elias said.

Elias's comments came at a time when President Donald Trump is seeking to overhaul how the U.S. conducts elections. Last week, he signed an executive order effectively eliminating mail-in voting. It also directed the Postal Service to create a list of people who vote by mail, according to reports.

The order was swiftly challenged in court, and litigation is ongoing.

"This is just a further expression of what we have already seen," Elias continued. "But it's not going to end here. It's only going to progress more and more, which is the reason why people need to stay informed about what is happening on this issue."