Trump Tells GOP Leaders He Wants SAVE America Act Passed Before Texas Senate Endorsement
President Donald Trump said he wants the SAVE America Act on his desk before he makes an endorsement in the Texas Senate race, placing pressure on Senate leadership to move forward with the election integrity bill.
Trump delivered the message Friday during an interview with CNN host Dana Bash, making clear that Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Texas Sen. John Cornyn should prioritize the legislation if they want his support in the closely watched Texas Republican primary runoff.
The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and includes several additional election and social policy provisions that Trump says are critical to protecting the country.
“We have to have voter ID. We have to have proof of citizenship. We have to have no mail in ballots except the military, illness, disability and travel,” Trump said. “We have to have no men in women’s sports, and we have to have no transgender operations for youth.”
The Texas Senate race tightened significantly after Tuesday’s primary results showed Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton nearly tied. Cornyn received about 42 percent of the vote while Paxton secured roughly 41 percent, sending the race to a runoff after neither candidate crossed the 50 percent threshold.
Rep. Wesley Hunt finished third with about 14 percent of the vote and was eliminated from the race.
Trump said earlier this week that he plans to make an endorsement soon and suggested that whichever candidate does not receive his backing should consider dropping out of the race. However, Paxton quickly pushed back and said he would not leave the race even if Cornyn secures Trump’s endorsement.
“Well, that’s bad for him to say,” Trump said when asked about Paxton’s comments during a separate interview.
Paxton has attempted to turn the moment into leverage by tying the race to passage of the SAVE America Act. The Texas attorney general said he would consider stepping aside only if Senate leadership agrees to bypass the filibuster and move the legislation forward.
“The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and I’m committed to helping President Trump get it done,” Paxton said. “I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act.”
Paxton also attacked Cornyn for not pushing harder to eliminate the filibuster in order to advance the bill.
“John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill,” Paxton said. “Now fake news reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation.”
Paxton argued that he has been one of Trump’s most loyal allies, pointing to his role challenging the 2020 election results and supporting the president throughout multiple political battles.
“For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump’s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done,” Paxton said.
Trump also discussed the race during an interview with NBC News, where he declined to reveal which candidate he plans to endorse. However, the president did offer praise for Cornyn’s performance in the primary.
“Cornyn is a very underrated person,” Trump said. “He was supposed to lose by ten points and he won. He’s a good man.”
At the same time, Trump acknowledged Paxton’s outspoken support for the SAVE America Act and expressed frustration that the legislation has not yet moved forward in the Senate.
With Trump’s endorsement still undecided, attention is now turning to Cornyn and Senate Republican leadership to see whether they take action on the SAVE America Act as pressure from the president continues to build.