Karoline Leavitt downplays Trump's push to 'nationalize' elections, highlights 'SAVE Act' effort
Q: What does President Trump mean when he says Republicans should 'nationalize voting'?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 3, 2026
LEAVITT: What the president was referring to is the SAVE Act, which is a common sense piece of legislation Republicans have supported. It provides common sense measures for voting, such as… pic.twitter.com/6dYXECdw0p
WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday, February 5, again rejected claims that President Donald Trump wanted the federal government to take over the administration or counting of elections, insisting that his recent calls to “nationalize” voting were narrowly focused on passing stricter voter identification requirements.
Speaking at a press briefing, Leavitt said that she had personally discussed the issue with Trump and emphasized that he was urging Congress to pass the SAVE Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.
“What the president is suggesting, and I just spoke to him about this, is that Republicans and Democrats in Congress should pass the SAVE America Act,” Leavitt said.
“This piece of legislation is going to ensure that states are abiding by federal election law by removing noncitizens from their voter rolls,” she added.
Leavitt framed the proposal as a safeguard rather than a federal takeover, arguing that it would help states enforce existing election standards.
Karoline Leavitt says focus is on blocking noncitizen voting
Trump raised the prospect of federal intervention in elections multiple times over the past week, prompting questions about how far he would go to reshape election oversight.
In an interview with NBC News on Wednesday, Trump suggested, without providing evidence, that some states might not be properly counting votes. “If that’s the case,” he said, “something else has to happen.”
Leavitt downplayed those remarks, saying Trump’s concern centered on preventing noncitizens from voting, not seizing control of elections from the states.
“The federal government should absolutely do away with that,” she said, referring to noncitizens on voter rolls. “This is a piece of federal legislation that will help states ensure the integrity and the sanctity of their elections, and that’s what the president wants here,” she said.
24 Democratic governors push back against nationalizing elections
Trump’s language sparked swift backlash from Democratic governors across the country.
The nation’s 24 Democratic governors issued a joint statement on Thursday opposing his call to “nationalize” elections, warning that it threatened the constitutional balance between state and federal authority.
“Voting in free and fair elections is the foundation of our democracy,” the governors said. “All Americans deserve to have their voices heard as they exercise their right to vote, without interference from the federal government.”
They described Trump’s comments as “an undemocratic attempt to silence the American people,” accusing him of seeking to undermine state-run elections after losing the 2020 race.
Pushback also came from within Trump’s own party.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that he was “not in favor” of federalizing elections, noting that such a move would conflict with Article I of the US Constitution, which granted states primary authority over election administration.
