Trump pushes SAVE Act, says US has ‘more corrupt elections than third-world countries’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Thursday, May 21, sharply criticized the American election system, claiming the United States has “more corrupt elections than third-world countries” as he renewed pressure on Senate Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act.

Speaking during an Oval Office event, Trump argued that stricter voter identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements were needed to protect election integrity. The bill passed the House last year but was stalled in the Senate because of the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.

Trump pushes SAVE America Act amid election integrity claims

Trump argued that the United States’ election practices compare unfavorably to those of developing nations. “We have more corrupt elections than third-world countries have, and we ought to get smart,” Trump said. “Pass the SAVE America Act, that'll be a long way.”

Trump also claimed Democrats oppose stricter election laws because such measures would hurt their electoral prospects. “They didn't want to pass” voter ID legislation, Trump said, because “they'll never be elected again.”

The SAVE America Act would require individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and present identification to cast ballots. Trump has repeatedly urged Republicans to weaken or eliminate the Senate filibuster to move the measure forward, arguing Democrats would do the same if given the opportunity.

Trump previously urged Republicans to tie the election bill to major legislation

Trump’s latest comments come just a week after he last publicly pressured Republicans to attach the SAVE America Act to broader legislation already moving through Congress. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, May 16, Trump urged GOP lawmakers to use housing legislation and negotiations surrounding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act framework to advance the election proposal.

“THE SAVE AMERICA ACT MUST BE PASSED, NOW,” Trump wrote. “Use the Housing and FISA Bills to get it done!” The president framed the legislation as an immediate priority and repeated his criticism of mail-in voting. “Voter ID, and Proof of Citizenship, must be approved, NOW,” Trump wrote. “Crooked Mail-In Voting must be stopped!!!”

The Maryland Board of Elections said the issue stemmed from an error by a printing contractor responsible for mailing ballots, though Trump disputed that explanation and suggested the incident reflected broader problems with election integrity. “They were corrupt, they said the printer made a mistake, I don't believe that, and they got caught with 500,000 mail-in ballots that were corrupt,” Trump said. 

Supporters of the bill argue that the proposal would strengthen election safeguards and restore public trust in the voting process. Critics, however, have raised concerns that stricter documentation requirements could make voter registration more difficult for some eligible voters.