Trump: ‘I WILL NEVER (EVER!) ENDORSE’ any senator who votes against SAVE
President Donald Trump ratcheted up pressure on Republican senators to pass the SAVE America Act, threatening them with a loss of his endorsement and a ‘garanteed loss’ if they don’t vote for his version of the expansive anti-voting bill.
Republicans will bring the bill — deemed the most restrictive election legislation in U.S. history — to the Senate floor for debate today. If enacted, voting experts warn the bill could disenfranchise millions of voters.
“I WILL NEVER (EVER!) ENDORSE ANYONE WHO VOTES AGAINST “SAVE AMERICA! ! !” Trump wrote a morning social media message.
Get updates straight to your inbox — for free
Join 350,000 readers who rely on our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest in voting, elections and democracy.
He described the bill as “one of the most IMPORTANT & CONSEQUENTIAL pieces of legislation in the history of Congress, and America itself” and said that only “sick, demented, or deranged” lawmakers would vote against it.
He also touted several provisions banning no-excuse mail voting, transgender women in women’s sports and gender-affirming care for minors that aren’t actually in the current bill.
It is expected that Republicans will attempt to include those provisions as amendments, but will fail to get the requisite 60 votes needed for them to be adopted.
Despite Trump’s full-throated endorsement, the SAVE America Act is not expected to make it through the Senate. Republicans simply don’t have the votes to pass it without amending Senate rules to remove the filibuster — an unpalatable prospect for the GOP senators.
Nonetheless, Trump has made it his top priority. Last week, he doubled-down and said he supported “not approving” any new legislation until the SAVE America Act is passed.