Former President Donald Trump announced the declassification of intelligence that he stated revealed "shocking vulnerabilities" in the nation's election infrastructure, urging lawmakers to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. In a public address, Trump asserted that the declassified documents would focus on allegations including foreign data theft by China, knowledge within the U.S. government of election vulnerabilities, and new evidence of "election fraud."
To address these alleged issues, Trump called for the passage of the SAVE Act, which includes a provision requiring proof of citizenship for participation in federal elections. "I ask you to pick up your phone tomorrow, call your representatives in the House and Senate, and demand that they pass the Save America Act without delay," Trump stated. He expressed confidence that enacting the legislation would restore faith in the electoral system.
His call was met with swift support from conservative lawmakers. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., posted, "We are going to lose our country if we don’t pass the dadgum SAVE America Act. Call your senator and tell them to save our great nation." Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, echoed this sentiment, writing on X, "It is more important than ever to crush foreign election interference. It is more important than ever to pass the SAVE AMERICA ACT." Hans Von Spakovsky, an election expert with Advancing American Freedom, supported the act, stating it is necessary for "universal voter ID and proof of citizenship" and that opposition stems from a desire to facilitate cheating.
The SAVE Act has passed the House of Representatives multiple times but has faced opposition in the Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats and require at least 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. Some Republicans have also voiced support for ending the filibuster to advance the bill, with Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, arguing that "election integrity is far more important than the dying institutional 'norms' of the Senate."
Conversely, Democrats have strongly opposed the SAVE Act, characterizing it as voter suppression. Former Vice President Kamala Harris stated, "The SAVE Act is voter suppression. It is part of a larger agenda of conservatives trying to steal power from the people." Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., asserted that Trump is "trying to rig this year's election with the SAVE America Act to make it harder to vote for millions of women, veterans, rural folks, & voters of color." Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., dismissed the act as belonging "in the trash with the rest of Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories."
It remains unclear when the Senate might consider the SAVE Act again.