President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Senate Republicans for not taking the procedural step needed to advance his legislative agenda. Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly urged Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster — the 60-vote threshold that often determines whether legislation can move forward, but to no avail.
The rule has stalled the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a measure backed by Trump and other conservatives that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, which they view as a key priority ahead of the midterm elections.
But while the legislation is stalled in Congress, several red states have made moves or are making moves to implement their own voter security and integrity measures, including requiring an ID to cast a ballot.
When asked on Tuesday if he was disappointed that Republicans had not terminated the filibuster, Trump said he was, but he did not blame Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “I’m disappointed,” Trump said, according to Fox News. “I like John a lot, but he, you know, he has a couple of Republicans that are foolish people. A couple of them are, like, a couple of them I can’t stand, actually.”
It’s unclear which Republicans Trump was referring to, as he has frequently expressed frustration with some members of the GOP who deviate from his agenda. However, his message has consistently been the same: eliminate the filibuster or Democrats will likely win in November.
Trump argued that the SAVE America Act would have passed without the filibuster, requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and limiting mail-in voting. “Because anytime you have mail-in voting, they’re going to cheat. And they cheat like dogs, and they have to cheat,” he said, per Fox.
“When you have policies like that, you have to cheat,” Trump said. “It’s the only way they can win. And we shouldn’t allow them to cheat. And we should terminate the filibuster, because if they get the chance, they’ll do it in the first hour back.”
Several Senate Republicans have expressed concerns similar to those of Trump. They worry that if Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, regain control of the upper chamber, they will attempt once again to abolish the filibuster.
But that said, among Republicans, there is little desire to eliminate the rule, which has traditionally been utilized by the minority party to block partisan bills from being quickly pushed through the Senate.
Meanwhile, certain provisions of the SAVE America Act are being implemented in GOP-controlled states.
Recently, Republican governors in Florida, Mississippi, Utah, and South Dakota signed bills mandating documentary proof of citizenship for individuals wishing to register for state and local elections. Additionally, a similar bill is heading to the desk of Tennessee’s Republican governor, Bill Lee. Over the past year, several other state legislatures have also taken steps to tighten voter identification and registration laws, including in Missouri, where the state Supreme Court has upheld the requirement as constitutional.
“Several states will have ballot initiatives this November to decide whether to amend local constitutions or laws to clarify that only citizens can vote, including Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, South Dakota and Alaska. In Michigan, a similar measure has not yet been placed on the ballot, as the state elections bureau has not verified the signatures required to advance,” The 19th News reported.
On March 31, Trump signed an executive order that requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies to create a list of confirmed American citizens. The order also directs agencies to withhold federal funds from local governments that do not comply with these conditions.
These stipulations bypass the parameters established by the SAVE America Act. Shortly after the order was issued, Democratic lawmakers and nearly two dozen states filed a lawsuit against it, the outlet said.
