White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt engaged in a heated back-and-forth with a college student at a Turning Point USA event on Thursday, even claiming that the student asked a “frankly insulting” question about voter fraud.
Leavitt and Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk spoke at a TPUSA event at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on Thursday evening. At one point, an unidentified student said that voter fraud was “incredibly rare” and asked if Leavitt believed the SAVE America Act was worth approving.
If passed in its current form, the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) America Act would mandate that potential voters show both voter ID and proof of citizenship. Additionally, mail-in ballots would only be allowed for those in the military or those who can show proof of an illness, disability, or that they’re traveling.
“It’s a common-sense piece of legislation,” Leavitt said, “and Democrats would be wise to get on board with this, because the only people in the world, except for maybe this gentleman who asked the question, seem to be politicians in this city who don’t want voter ID and proof of citizenship in American elections.”
Student: “Voter fraud is incredibly rare… Is it worth it to risk millions of Americans from voting?”
Karoline Leavitt: “Why are you okay with any voter fraud in the United States of America?”
BOOM! pic.twitter.com/ojbKdSlp8I
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) April 3, 2026
Leavitt also told the crowd that they did not need to boo the student, who also received some cheers and words of support. She had not addressed the incident on social media as of publication.
The SAVE America Act has been a hot-button topic for months, with the Donald Trump administration arguing that it is needed to combat voter fraud. However, Democratic and other left-leaning groups have branded the bill as, among other things, racist and anti-LGBTQ.
Vermont Democratic Rep. Becca Balint argued earlier this year that one in four women would be affected if the name on their ID did not match the name on their birth certificate. As the SAVE America Act is currently designed, it is believed that it would extend to anyone who changed their surname upon marriage.
RECESS REBELLION: Conservative activist Scott Presler calls on Senate Republicans to cancel their recess and stay in Washington, DC, to work on funding DHS and advancing the SAVE America Act. pic.twitter.com/DdhLr35DOX
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 21, 2026
Kansas enacted a new state law earlier this year requiring that licenses reflect a driver’s biological sex rather than their gender identity. As a result, roughly 1,700 driver’s licenses were invalidated, and two transgender residents filed a lawsuit. The SAVE America Act could possibly lead to similar complications if approved in its current form.
Trump has also argued against birthright citizenship, which is covered under the 14th Amendment. Specifically, anyone born in the United States is guaranteed citizenship regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
The Supreme Court is currently weighing whether Trump’s executive order is legal. Trump made history earlier this week when he became the first sitting U.S. president to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court.
