Trump’s SAVE America Act push creates fresh headaches for GOP leaders

President Trump is ramping up pressure on GOP leaders to attach the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act to must-pass legislation, a move that would complicate an already difficult stretch on Capitol Hill.

Republicans in both chambers are racing to get a bipartisan housing bill, a long-term extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA) warrantless spying powers and a party-line immigration funding package across the finish line, even as internal GOP divisions, bicameral disagreements or procedural hurdles bog down each effort.

But Trump’s latest push on the GOP voting requirements bill is only creating more headaches for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump urged Republicans to attach the SAVE America Act to either the housing bill or a measure reauthorizing FISA’s Section 702. The SAVE America Act, which has stalled in the upper chamber over Democratic opposition, would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and the presentation of an ID to cast a ballot. 

“Voter I.D., and Proof of Citizenship, must be approved, NOW. Crooked Mail-In Voting must be stopped!!! PUT IT ALL IN THE HOUSING AND FISA BILLS. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” Trump wrote in the post. 

Trump has long pushed Republicans to pass the bill. In March, he told House Republicans at their Florida retreat that the SAVE America Act “will guarantee the midterms. If you don’t get it, big trouble.” His recent post comes as the 2026 midterm cycle intensifies, with Republicans eager to notch legislative wins and sharpen their messaging on election security ahead of November. 

It also comes as Trump faces an unusual dynamic, with Republicans in Congress appearing more open to resisting his policy demands while also warily eyeing........

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