U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth participate in a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not pictured) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 24, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to hold a popular piece of legislation hostage to force Republicans to pass his sweeping election reform legislation baffled one MS NOW analyst on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Trump canceled the signing ceremony for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which passed Congress with support from a supermajority of lawmakers. He did so in an attempt to pressure lawmakers to pass the SAVE Act, a bill that would fundamentally reshape how American elections are conducted. Simone Sanders Townsend, co-host of "The Weeknight," was baffled by the idea.
"It is actually insane," she said during Wednesday's broadcast. "He's literally trying to hold ushostage, and he is telling us very clearly what hecares about."
Townsend mentioned that Trump has tried to fundamentally redefine what it means to be an American through legislation like the SAVE Act, which would restrict the right to vote for people who don't meet certain documentary requirements. That is happening at a time when voters say affordability is their top concern in the 2026 midterm elections.
"He is trying to attackcitizenship from every single way here, and he is willing to literally throw the American people to the side," Townsend said. "Affordabilityis the number one thing folks care about. This is crazy!"