US President Donald Trump has signaled a new executive order that would require election organizers to verify voters’ identities before distributing ballots.
In a social media post on Friday, the Republican leader was clearly frustrated with the lack of progress on the issue in Congress and threatened to take executive action soon.
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“This is a problem we must fight, and we must fight now,” President Trump wrote.
“If we can’t get it through Congress, there are legal reasons why this fraud should not be allowed. We plan to submit it in the form of an executive order soon.”
It was not clear from his message what those legal reasons were. But Trump’s post came two days after the U.S. House of Representatives successfully passed a bill that would require proof of citizenship before people can register to vote.
However, the bill has a very good chance of passing in the Senate and is unlikely to advance any further.
In the United States, it is illegal for noncitizens to participate in elections, and voter fraud is extremely rare.
Nevertheless, President Trump and his Republican allies have repeatedly asserted widespread election fraud. Trump himself continues to falsely claim he won the 2020 presidential election, despite bipartisan pushback from election officials over the accuracy of the tally.
But in the face of sluggish poll numbers, President Trump is turning his attention to November’s midterm elections, which will determine which party controls Congress for the remaining two years of his term.
President Trump has already expressed concern that he could face a third impeachment if Democrats assert a majority in the Republican-controlled House.
He was successfully impeached twice during his first term, once for abuse of power and again for inciting an insurrection after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The midterm elections featured prominently in President Trump’s message on Friday. He urged Republicans to leverage public support for voter ID laws in their November campaign.
“Republicans must put this at the beginning of every speech. This is essential for the midterm elections and subsequent redistricting,” Trump wrote.
A 2025 Pew Research Center poll found that Americans of both major political parties overwhelmingly support requiring a photo ID before registering to vote.
This percentage was higher among Republicans, with 95% of Republicans supporting such measures. But about 71 percent of Democrats also supported such a bill.
But voting rights advocates and Democratic Party leaders largely oppose such measures.
They argue that providing photo ID can be a burden for members of low-income and marginalized communities who may not have easy access to documents that prove their identity.
That could disenfranchise U.S. citizens who might vote.
However, voter ID laws are not uncommon in the United States. Approximately 36 states have enacted measures requiring residents to show identification before voting, but the strictness varies.
Congress has considered such legislation before, including last year. But as the midterm elections approach and President Trump is pressuring states to increase federal control over elections, a new movement has begun.
The U.S. Constitution requires states, not the federal government, to control “the time, place, and manner of holding elections.” Therefore, the organization of elections takes place at the state and local level.
But President Trump has threatened to strip that constitutional authority. Earlier this month, the president suggested in a conversation with conservative podcaster Dan Bongino that the federal government should take over the election process.
“We should have control of the vote in at least 15 places,” Trump said, stumbling slightly over his words. “Republicans should nationalize voting.”
His comments coincided with the reintroduction of the American Voter Eligibility Protection Act (SAVE) earlier this month.
The expanded version of the bill initially required proof of citizenship in the form of a passport or birth certificate, documents that many Americans lack, not just when registering to vote but before each vote.
That provision has since been amended, but critics have also called the measure unconstitutional, requiring states to submit their voter rolls to the federal government.
The bill passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday with 218 votes in favor and 213 against. Only one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar, voted in favor of the latest SAVE Act.
But even if the bill passes in the House, it is unlikely to garner enough support to overcome the Senate’s filibuster, a tool that allows minorities to block legislation if they fail to muster at least 60 votes in the 100-seat chamber.
Trump on Friday slammed the filibuster, and Democrats in general, in a social media post.
“We can’t let Democrats get away with no voter numbers anymore. They are horrible, dishonest scammers,” he wrote.
He also asked the Supreme Court to reject the Democratic Party’s priorities, calling them “corrupt,” “deranged,” “mentally insane” and “evil.”
But advocacy groups like the Brennan Center for Justice urged the Senate to reject the latest voter ID push.
“These bills are part of a broader federal objective to sow distrust in elections, undermine election administration, and discourage Americans from having their voices heard,” the Brennan Center said in a statement.
“Congress should take a stand once again and reject the SAVE Act.”
