How US lawmakers are reacting to Trump’s address on ele… — Transcript

Democrats are completely aghast over the speech, and very publicly so. I talked to one lawmaker immediately afterward who said it was one of the most reprehensible things he's ever seen out of a president speaking from the White House, who said that it showed Donald Trump doesn't actually know how federal elections work. On the Republican side, the response is mixed. I talked to some lawmakers who privately are disappointed in the president's speech. They feel like it set the Republican Party back in terms of the issues they need to win on in November.

And then others are very enthusiastic about the SAVE Act, which is this legislation that President Trump wants to force through Congress. They say anything that creates momentum to move that through Congress is a good thing, including the president's speech. The big piece of this bill on elections is not just photo ID to vote, but proof of citizenship to vote. In some states, that means a driver's license wouldn't do it. That would mean a social security card and a passport and various forms of ID. It would mean if you change your name after you were married, it could complicate your ability to cast a ballot or at least show up and seamlessly do it at your polling place. The filibuster is key here. That is the 60-vote threshold required to legislate in the Senate. The SAVE America Act does not have 60 votes in the Senate. Not just because Democrats control 47 seats, but I think there are some Republicans who wouldn't go for this either.

And that's for a couple of reasons. One, politically, it could make voting for Republican voters in red states harder because of mail-in voting restrictions, because of proof of citizenship, and because of the constituent services that would be needed to facilitate these elections. So that's one. And two, politically this would be dicey. It would basically turn the entire midterm elections into a referendum on election integrity, which is the word the president likes to use. That is not a winning issue for Republicans.

And then others are very enthusiastic about the SAVE Act that which is this legislation that President Trump wants to force through Congress. And they say anything that creates momentum to move that through Congress is a good thing including the president's speech. The

big piece of this bill on elections is not just photo ID to vote, but proof of citizenship to vote. And in some states, that means a driver's license wouldn't do it. That would mean a social security card and a passport and various forms of

ID. It would mean if you change your name after you were married, it could complicate your ability to cast a ballot or at least show up and seamlessly do it at your polling place. The filibuster is key here. That is the 60-vote threshold

required to legislate in the Senate. The SAVE America Act does not have 60 votes in the Senate. Not just because Democrats control 47 seats, but I think there are some Republicans who wouldn't go for this either.

Um and that's for a couple of reasons. One, politically, it could make voting for Republican voters in red states harder because of mail-in voting restrictions, because of proof of citizenship, uh because of the constituent services that would be

needed to facilitate these elections. So that's one. And two, politically this would be dicey. It would basically turn the entire midterm elections into a referendum on election integrity, which is the the the word the president likes to use. That is not a winning issue for

Republicans.