Trump ally acknowledges backlash over president's speech: 'Not having a solution is a problem'
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump’s election speech didn’t only irk Democrats who pushed back against president’s claims, conservative supporters also have reportedly dismissed his speech, with a former White House Press Secretary acknowledging the negative responses.
Trump ally Sean Spicer publicly acknowledges frustration among conservative supporters, saying the president raised election security concerns without offering a clear path forward.
Spicer says Trump should come up with election-rig solution
Sean Spicer, a White House press secretary in President Trump’s first administration talked about negative responses to the President’s Thursday, July 16 speech.
“I saw a lot of negative comments from the MAGA faithful saying, ‘What else can we be doing? What else are we doing?’” Spicer said on NewsNation’s “Morning in America” on Friday, July 17, using the acronym for Trump’s campaign tagline “Make America Great Again.”
“Raising an issue and not having a solution is a bit of a problem,” he added.
Spicer has long backed Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was marred by widespread voter fraud. During Thursday's speech, Trump urged Republican lawmakers to pass his top election priority, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act.
Spicer says Republicans need ‘concrete path’ on SAVE Act
Spicer said Republicans “need a more concrete path of how to do it,” as he expressed his support for the bill.
“When you tell someone that there’s a major problem, we need to have a solution, we need to have a path forward,” Spicer said.
“I don’t know that he gave a lot of people that, aside from just saying pass the SAVE Act, and even on that front we’ve been doing, and talking about that on the right for a while.”
SAVE America Act aims to require Americans to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and an ID when casting ballots at polling sites. Democrats say these new requirements would disenfranchise many voters.
Call for Trump’s impeachment erupted after speech
President Donald Trump’s prime-time address on election fraud ignited furious backlash and condemnation from Democratic lawmakers.
Trump must be impeached for undermining and subverting our free and fair elections. And when he sends ICE agents to the polls, then we must turn civic action into civil disobedience and take to the streets. Sit in. Protest. Withhold our labor. Everything must be on the table.
— Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) July 17, 2026
Dem Senator Ed Markey called for Trump’s impeachment for undermining country’s free and fair elections.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was equally scathing, describing Trump’s address as “the ramblings of a mad king” but going one step further by calling it “a legitimate 25th Amendment moment.”
This is a 25th Amendment moment.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 17, 2026
I just watched the ramblings of a mad king and what else can I say — the only thing missing was tin foil.
Donald Trump is trying to rig our elections and we have to stop him.
Show up and VOTE this November. pic.twitter.com/iAFPo9GIed