President Donald Trump has aggressively pushed for Congress to pass the SAVE Act, his voter ID bill that critics say would dramatically suppress voter turnout, but one prominent journalist alleged on Tuesday that the president is well aware the legislation was doomed to fail — but is pushing it regardless for one nefarious reason.
An acronym for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, the bill would require voters to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote, presenting challenges to the 52% of voters who don’t possess a passport or the 11% who don’t have access to their birth certificate.
Trump has vowed not to sign any other bills until the Save Act reaches his desk, and has also invoked Jesus Christ in his calls on lawmakers to pass the legislation.
However, even Republicans have warned that the SAVE Act is “doomed to fail,” with the bill fiercely opposed by Democratic lawmakers, and Republicans unable to muster enough votes to overcome the Senate filibuster, a procedural rule that essentially requires bills to receive 60 votes to pass through the chamber, a number far beyond the GOP’s 53-45 Senate majority.
In an analysis published on her Substack Tuesday, writer Amanda Marcotte theorized that Trump and the GOP were well aware that the bill had no shot at becoming law, but continue to press for it anyway for ominous strategic reasons.
“Frankly, I think it’s more about apportioning blame after the midterms. Trump and other MAGA Republicans want to keep pushing the idea that most Americans are not legitimate voters, either because they aren’t white or because they’re too liberal,” Marcotte wrote.
“All that resentment can definitely be channeled into future fundraising and organizing. Unfortunately, as we saw on Jan. 6, 2021, it can also lead to violence, something I have no doubt Trump wants to keep in his back pocket against future contingencies.”
Marcotte argued her theory was likely more accurate for GOP lawmakers, given that Trump “is such a pudding-brain these days” that it was “possible” he legitimately believed that bill could be passed.
“The misnamed SAVE America Act feels like it’s [dead on arrival] on Capitol Hill, but Donald Trump and his biggest goons keep on pretending it’s his administration’s signature legislation,” Marcotte wrote. “I don’t think that’s because they actually think it will pass, although Trump is such a pudding-brain these days, it’s possible he still thinks he can force it through.”