Former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor has warned of an alleged plot to manipulate the midterm elections, with President Donald Trump's longtime friend Peter Ticktin at its center.

Ticktin, an 80-year-old Florida lawyer who met Trump in the 1950s at a military academy, allegedly urged the president to declare a national emergency based on unsubstantiated claims of foreign election interference in the 2020 election.Newsweek reports that Ticktin claims proof of this plot will emerge once Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro cooperates.

Taylor, who published an analysis on his Substack, speculates that the Trump administration may have offered Maduro leniency in exchange for admitting to intervening in the 2020 election.Ticktin reportedly drafted an executive order to declare such an emergency, though CNN previously reported this plan.

Taylor warns that Trump may attempt further illegal and unconstitutional actions to influence the midterms, including disputing election results if his side loses and attempting to prevent a peaceful transfer of power.He emphasizes that while Trump has a history of such behavior, the current opposition is better prepared to counter it.The article highlights concerns about potential electoral interference and the risks of political instability during the midterms.