Trump: Voter ID Will Be In Place For Midterms With or Without Congress
President Donald J. Trump made clear Friday that voter identification requirements will be in place for the November 2026 midterm elections — with or without congressional approval — signaling a renewed push to strengthen election integrity during his second term in the White House.
The President’s comments come as debate intensifies over the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, commonly known as the SAVE America Act. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation this week, advancing a measure that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot.
In a post on his social media platform, President Trump left little room for ambiguity.
“There will be voter I.D. for the midterm elections, whether approved by Congress or not,” he wrote, indicating that alternative legal options — including executive authority — are under consideration should the Senate fail to act.
“The Democrats refuse to vote for Voter I.D., or Citizenship. The reason is very simple — They want to continue to cheat in Elections. This was not what our Founders desired. I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future,” Trump wrote.
He continued: “There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not! Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel.”
Senate Roadblock Ahead
While House Republicans rallied behind the measure, its future in the Senate remains uncertain. The bill is unlikely to reach the 60-vote threshold required to overcome a filibuster, setting the stage for a constitutional showdown over executive authority and federal election standards.
“If we can’t get it through Congress, there are Legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted. I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order,” the President added.
President Trump sharply criticized Democratic opposition, framing the debate as a battle over basic safeguards that most Americans already accept in daily life.
“We cannot let the Democrats get away with NO VOTER I.D. any longer,” he wrote, calling opponents “horrible, disingenuous CHEATERS.”
“They have all sorts of reasons why it shouldn’t be passed, and then boldly laugh in the backrooms after their ridiculous presentations. If it weren’t such a serious matter, it would be considered a TOTAL JOKE!”
He further argued: “No Voter I.D. is even crazier, and more ridiculous, than Men playing in Women’s Sports, Open Borders, or Transgender for Everyone. Republicans must put this at the top of every speech — It is a CAN’T MISS FOR RE-ELECTION IN THE MIDTERMS, AND BEYOND! Even Democrat Voters agree, 85%, that there should be Voter I.D.”
The President also directly called out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, writing:
“It’s only the Political ‘Leaders,’ Crooked Losers like Schumer and Jeffries, that have no shame, and explain why it’s ‘racist,’ and every other thing that they can think of. This is an issue that must be fought, and must be fought, NOW!”
GOP: Confidence in Elections Must Be Restored
Republican lawmakers backing the SAVE America Act argue that the reforms are common-sense protections designed to preserve the sanctity of lawful votes and rebuild trust in the electoral system.
Rep. Sheri Biggs defended the legislation as a necessary step to ensure that only eligible citizens participate in federal elections.
Texas Rep. Chip Roy, the bill’s primary sponsor in the House, characterized the measure as foundational to constitutional governance.
“In this age of progressive suicidal empathy, basic concepts such as voter ID and proof of citizenship have been attacked as suppression,” he said Wednesday on the House floor.
Supporters note that Americans routinely present identification to board airplanes, enter federal buildings, purchase age-restricted items, and conduct countless other routine transactions — yet Democrats argue that similar standards at the ballot box are somehow exclusionary.
Critics of the bill, including Democratic lawmakers and voting rights advocates, claim stricter ID and citizenship documentation could impose barriers on eligible voters. However, Republicans counter that modern identification standards are widely accessible and necessary to prevent fraud and foreign interference.
Notably, members of Congress themselves must use official identification credentials to cast votes on the House floor — a reality that has not gone unnoticed by proponents of the legislation.
With the 2026 midterms approaching, the battle over voter identification is shaping up to be one of the defining political fights of President Trump’s second term — pitting federal authority, state election oversight, and constitutional interpretation against one another in a high-stakes clash over the future of American elections.