'Get it done': Trump fires at GOP over SAVE Act delay and unveils a controversial new strategy

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Saturday, May 16, injected fresh urgency into the election security debate, publicly urging Republicans to stop waiting for a standalone vote on the SAVE America Act and instead attach it to two major pieces of legislation already moving through Congress.

In a post via Truth Social, Trump signaled he wants GOP lawmakers to use high-priority housing legislation and surveillance renewal negotiations as vehicles to push through stricter federal voting requirements.

Trump demands Republicans pass the SAVE America Act

Writing on Truth Social, Trump framed the legislation as an immediate national priority rather than a policy issue that can be debated later in the session.

“THE SAVE AMERICA ACT MUST BE PASSED, NOW,” Trump wrote. “Use the Housing and FISA Bills to get it done!”

The post marked one of Trump’s strongest public interventions yet on the issue, with the president directly encouraging congressional Republicans to tie election legislation to unrelated but politically significant bills already under negotiation on Capitol Hill.

Trump also repeated his criticism of mail-in voting, once again alleging widespread abuse in the system. In the same message, he claimed that Maryland had uncovered “500,000 fake mail-in ballots.”

“We cannot, as a Country, put up with this any longer!!!” he wrote.

Trump followed that with a demand for new federal election standards. “Voter ID, and Proof of Citizenship, must be approved, NOW. Crooked Mail-In Voting must be stopped!!!”

Trump's push for election reform

The remarks are expected to intensify pressure on Republican leadership, particularly as lawmakers navigate contentious debates over housing policy and the renewal of surveillance authorities tied to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court framework.

The SAVE America Act has emerged as one of the most politically charged voting proposals backed by Trump and congressional Republicans.

The legislation would require individuals registering to vote in federal elections to present documentary proof of US citizenship. Supporters argue the measure would help restore public trust in elections and prevent unlawful voting.

Trump has repeatedly described the bill as essential to protecting what he calls the integrity of the American electoral system.

But critics, including voting rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers, say the proposal could create obstacles for legally eligible voters who may not have immediate access to passports, birth certificates or updated legal records.