Trump Pushes Federal Takeover of Elections as SAVE Act Advances Amid Constitutional Opposition

Updated 2026-02-03 23:45:48+00:00 (8 articles)

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters and members of the media at Mar-a-Lago on February 1, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Source Full size
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President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, February 2, 2026, in Washington. Source Full size
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US President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 2, 2026. (Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Source Full size
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Woman voting in a privacy booth on U.S. election day. Source Full size
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President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, February 2, 2026, in Washington. Source Full size
Image: Newsweek

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 2, 2026. (Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Source Full size
Image: Newsweek

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters and members of the media at Mar-a-Lago on February 1, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Source Full size
Image: Newsweek

Woman voting in a privacy booth on U.S. election day. Source Full size
Image: AP

Source Full size

Trump Calls for Federal Intervention After Atlanta FBI Raid President Donald Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that states act as federal agents and that the federal government must step in when “states cannot run elections honestly,” citing the January FBI search of Fulton County’s election office in Atlanta as proof of “horrible corruption” [1]. He made the remarks during an Oval Office signing ceremony for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration [1][2]. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt linked the comment directly to the SAVE legislation, framing it as a national voter‑ID requirement [1].

Constitutional Experts Reject Presidential Authority Over Elections Legal analysts emphasized that Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution assigns election administration to state legislatures, and only Congress may modify those rules by law [2][4]. Attorneys Bradley P. Moss and former prosecutor Gene Rossi described Trump’s “nationalize” proposal as “blatantly unconstitutional” and lacking any statutory basis [2]. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former District Judge John E. Jones III echoed this view, warning that any attempt to shift control to the federal level would violate constitutional limits [4].

GOP Bill Gains Co‑Sponsors While Facing Tight Senate Odds Rep. Bryan Steil introduced the Make Elections Great Again Act, which now has 38 Republican co‑sponsors, including Byron Donalds and Claudia Tenney, after Trump’s nationalization plea [3][6]. The 120‑page bill mandates photo ID, citizenship verification at registration starting 2027, bans universal vote‑by‑mail and ranked‑choice voting, and requires a single statewide computerized voter list [3][6]. Democrats such as Rep. Joe Morelle and Senate leader Chuck Schumer have labeled the measures “outlandishly illegal” and warned they would disenfranchise millions [3][4].

SAVE Act Could Impose Extra Burdens on Married Women and Minorities The SAVE Act’s citizenship‑proof requirement would force voters to present a passport, REAL ID, or birth certificate, and married women whose legal names differ from birth certificates would also need to supply a marriage certificate [5]. Policy analyst Caroline Welles warned that this extra paperwork would disproportionately affect Native American, low‑income, and domestic‑violence‑survivor women, potentially suppressing turnout in the 2026 midterms [5]. Republican supporters argue the rule prevents non‑citizen registration, while a coalition of state attorneys general warns it could reverse decades of voting‑rights progress [5].

Midterm Election Strategy Tied to Trump’s Rhetoric and Redistricting Push Trump’s comments come as the administration launches a rare mid‑decade redistricting campaign aimed at gaining additional House seats for Republicans ahead of the November 2026 midterms [1]. The White House plans to use the SAVE Act and related rule changes to shape election administration, positioning the reforms as “integrity measures” while Democrats and voting‑rights groups predict a significant drop in participation among affected groups [1][6]. The GOP’s legislative push reflects a broader effort to translate Trump’s fraud narrative into concrete policy before voters head to the polls [2].

Sources

Timeline

2020 – Trump continues to assert that illegal immigrants voted and that “widespread fraud” occurred in states such as Georgia, despite multiple investigations finding no evidence, a claim he repeats in 2026 statements [4].

2022 – Ohio voters approve a constitutional amendment that limits voting to U.S. citizens, laying groundwork for later use of the SAVE database to verify citizenship [8].

Oct 2024 – Ohio files a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s denial of access to the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, a case that later resolves with a 20‑year access agreement [8].

Dec 2, 2025 – Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio settle lawsuits with DHS, allowing the states to conduct bulk voter‑citizenship checks through the upgraded SAVE program, a development expected to shape the 2026 midterm election landscape [7].

Dec 2, 2025 – Ohio signs a 20‑year agreement with DHS to use the SAVE database at no cost, enabling bulk verification of voter citizenship and supporting new monthly voter‑list maintenance rules under Senate Bill 293 [8].

2025 – The House passes the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration, a provision that later raises concerns about added burdens for married women [5].

Jan 30, 2026 – The House Republican leadership unveils the 120‑page “Make Elections Great Again Act,” mandating photo ID, citizenship verification at registration starting 2027, banning universal vote‑by‑mail and ranked‑choice voting, and threatening to withhold federal election funding from non‑compliant states [6].

Feb 2, 2026 – Analysts warn the SAVE Act could create extra paperwork for married women, who may need to submit marriage certificates in addition to standard ID, potentially disenfranchising millions, especially Native American, low‑income, and domestic‑violence survivors [5].

Feb 2, 2026 – In an interview on The Dan Bongino Show, Trump urges Republicans to “nationalize” voting by taking over at least 15 jurisdictions, describing state‑run elections as “corrupt” and calling for federal intervention [4].

Feb 3, 2026 – Republican lawmakers add 14 co‑sponsors to the Make Elections Great Again Act, bringing total support to 38, as the bill moves forward amid a narrow congressional split and a looming November 2026 midterm election [3].

Feb 3, 2026 – Constitutional scholars and former judges stress that the Constitution assigns election administration to state legislatures, rendering Trump’s nationalization proposal “blatantly unconstitutional” and “outlandishly illegal,” according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer [2][4].

Feb 3, 2026 – The White House ties Trump’s election‑security agenda to the SAVE Act, describing it as a “national voter ID requirement” that would require proof of citizenship, ban no‑excuse mail‑in voting, and end ballot harvesting [2][1].

Feb 3, 2026 – Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office, declaring that “a state is an agent for the federal government in elections” and calling for federal takeover of state‑run elections, while highlighting the FBI’s January raid on Fulton County’s election office as evidence of “horrible corruption” [1].

Nov 2026 – The upcoming midterm elections serve as the focal point for both the Make Elections Great Again Act’s implementation timeline and the GOP’s push to reshape election administration ahead of the 2026 campaign cycle [6][3].

2027 – The provisions of the Make Elections Great Again Act and the SAVE Act are slated to take effect, requiring voter photo ID, citizenship verification at registration, and a single statewide computerized voter list, fundamentally altering election procedures nationwide [6][3].