Trump unloads on Democrats defending SAVE America Act, saying 'they want to cheat'
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump launched into a blistering defense of election reform during an interview on Sunday, May 10, accusing Democrats of resisting voter integrity measures because, in his words, they “want to cheat.”
Speaking in an exchange with veteran journalist Sharyl Attkisson, Trump used the conversation to aggressively promote the SAVE America Act while once again attacking mail-in voting, the absence of voter identification requirements, and opposition to proof-of-citizenship measures.
🇺🇸 President Trump on the SAVE AMERICA ACT:
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) May 10, 2026
"Democrats are fighting us on the SAVE America Act... When somebody says, 'We don't want voter identification,' that means they want to cheat." https://t.co/3jqy4xNEEX pic.twitter.com/nzh928Dko8
Trump claims 'Dems want to cheat'
Asked about voting laws and the political battle over election security, Trump wasted little time before directly accusing Democrats of trying to weaken election safeguards.
“Anytime you have mail-in voting, you’re gonna have a rigged election,” Trump said.
He then shifted to voter identification, arguing that opposition to ID laws itself should raise suspicion.
“When somebody says, ‘We don’t want voter identification,’ that means they want to cheat,” he declared.
Trump also accused Democrats of resisting proof-of-citizenship requirements, arguing such opposition reveals their political intentions. “They don’t want citizenship. They don’t want proof of citizenship. They don’t want it to be part of the voting process,” he said.
“Ninety-seven percent of Republicans want voter ID,” Trump said, before adding that national support also exists.
“Even if you put Republicans and Democrats together, it’s still overwhelmingly supported.”
Trump invokes Jimmy Carter
In a notable remark, Trump invoked former President Jimmy Carter despite noting that he was never a fan of Carter politically.
“I wasn’t a big fan of him as a president,” Trump said. “But Jimmy Carter had a committee made up of very respected people.”
Trump was referring to a bipartisan election reform commission that examined voting systems years ago. He claimed its conclusions backed his position.
“The primary finding of that committee was you can’t have mail-in voting. It’s crooked,” Trump said.
Trump’s remarks come as Republicans continue pushing the SAVE America Act as a major election issue heading into the next campaign cycle.
Supporters of the legislation argue it strengthens election security by requiring stronger verification measures, while critics say some provisions could make voting harder for eligible citizens.
Trump, however, presented the legislation as a common-sense safeguard and suggested Democratic resistance speaks for itself.