President Donald Trump’s criticism of Senate Majority Leader John Thune over the stalled SAVE America Act escalated Thursday, with the White House warning that the president’s “patience is running out” as Republican leaders struggle to advance the controversial voting legislation before lawmakers leave in August for recess.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump wants to see “as much of the SAVE America (Act) passed as possible” before senators leave Washington, pointing to remarks the president made at a rally in Georgia on Wednesday.
“Look, the president spoke about this directly yesterday, his patience is running out,” Leavitt said during a White House briefing Thursday.
The SAVE America Act would require proof of US citizenship, like a birth certificate or passport, to register to vote in federal elections. It also includes provisions for removing noncitizens from federal voter registration rolls.
Critics of the bill say it could restrict voting access by creating unnecessary hurdles that will make it harder to register to vote and wrongfully disenfranchise legitimate voters.
