President Donald Trump filled Truth Social with false claims about the 2020 election overnight. He pressured Senate Republicans to pass new federal voting restrictions and urged them to change Senate rules to move the bill forward.
The Daily Beast reported on February 18 that Trump reposted and spread a series of election conspiracy theories. These included debunked claims about Dominion voting machines. He demanded that the Senate approve the SAVE America Act. This House-passed measure would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and tighten identification requirements for casting ballots.
One of Trump’s posts claimed that states using Dominion machines switched 435,000 votes from Trump to Biden and deleted 2.7 million Trump votes, including 1 million in Pennsylvania. The Daily Beast described this claim as false. The president also supported calls for Senate Majority Leader John Thune to eliminate the filibuster. This change would allow the Senate to pass the legislation without needing 60 votes, according to the report.
Trump’s posting spree included a demand late Tuesday that Georgia take over elections in Fulton County. This Democratic-leaning county, which includes most of Atlanta, has often been the target of Trump’s election complaints. Trump resumed posting hours later with more allegations and messages directed at Senate Republicans.
The effort focuses on the SAVE America Act, which House Republicans passed last week. This bill would require voters to register in person and present proof of citizenship, such as a passport or a physical copy of a birth certificate, along with proof of residency. The bill would also tighten photo ID rules by limiting the types of IDs that can be used. It would restrict most voting by mail, according to the outlet.
The Brennan Center for Justice has warned that proof-of-citizenship requirements can block eligible voters. Many people do not have easy access to documents like passports or birth certificates. The center has criticized versions of the SAVE Act, stating they would keep millions of citizens from voting.
Trump’s overnight messages aimed to increase pressure on Senate Republicans. They are trying to advance the bill in a chamber where the filibuster usually requires 60 votes to end debate. Thune stated this week that 50 Republican senators support the Senate version. This amount is enough to bring the measure to the floor but not enough to meet the 60-vote requirement.
During the posting spree, Trump also spread speculation that he would soon provide evidence that foreign powers interfered in the 2020 election. This evidence would force Thune to back down on the filibuster, according to the Daily Beast. Trump wrote “Crooked Elections cannot be allowed in the U.S.A.” above the repost.
Democrats argue that the bill’s requirements are excessive compared to the documented scale of noncitizen voting. They claim the measure would create new obstacles for eligible voters, including married women who have changed their names and voters lacking access to paperwork.
Thune told reporters Tuesday he did not have the support to end the filibuster. He also plans to open debate on the bill and force Democrats to publicly defend their opposition ahead of the 2026 midterms.
