NewsMacroTrump Reposts Mike Lee Comment Calling Elizabeth Warren 'Incredibly Smart' Amid SAVE America Act Debate

Trump Reposts Mike Lee Comment Calling Elizabeth Warren 'Incredibly Smart' Amid SAVE America Act Debate

Author: Rawstory·

Key Takeaways

  • Trump reposted a video of Warren discussing existing federal law on noncitizen voting as part of a series of Truth Social posts about the SAVE America Act.
  • Warren cited the current federal ban on noncitizens voting in federal elections, established under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
  • Supporters of the SAVE America Act argue that the existing ban is insufficient if it cannot be effectively enforced.
  • The National Women’s Law Center says the bill could affect 21.3 million eligible voters who may not have the required documents ready.
  • Sen. John Cornyn said the proposal has little chance of passing and warned that pressure on Senate Republicans could be politically damaging.
Trump Reposts Mike Lee Comment Calling Elizabeth Warren 'Incredibly Smart' Amid SAVE America Act Debate

President Donald Trump reposted a Truth Social item early Sunday morning that included a video clip of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) criticizing his SAVE America Act.

The repost was one of more than a dozen items Trump posted at about 5:20 a.m. on Truth Social, including material related to the legislation. The post appeared to center on Warren’s comments to a reporter about existing federal law on noncitizen voting.

"It's already illegal for someone who is not an American noncitizen to vote," Warren can be heard saying in the clip. "I don't understand why you want laws that are already there."

Warren was referring to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, which prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The law is available through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:

The exchange reflects the core dispute around the proposal: supporters argue that the existing federal ban is not enough if it cannot be enforced effectively, while critics argue that additional documentation requirements could block eligible voters even though noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal.

That argument is one of three common criticisms of Trump’s controversial legislation. Another criticism is that the measure could have what opponents describe as "dystopian" consequences for Americans, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

"This bill could disenfranchise 21.3 million eligible voters who don’t have the required documents ready, and it would particularly impact married women and trans people—all in order to fix a problem that doesn’t exist," an NWLC explainer states. "It’s voter suppression that perpetuates anti-immigrant misinformation."

A third frequent criticism has come from Republicans in the Senate, who have said the bill has little chance of passing regardless of how much pressure Trump places on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). That makes the Senate Republican response a key part of the debate, separate from the public messaging around the bill.

“This idea that he can just command members of the Republican conference to get in line is just a fantasy," Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said earlier this week. “I don’t know who it was that sold the president on this idea, that this was obtainable, but it’s creating a circular firing squad for Republicans.”

The Warren video appeared among multiple reposts of commentary from Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who was defending the SAVE America Act. Lee’s most direct defense of the proposal was that the existing law barring noncitizens from voting was "impossible to enforce."

Lee also made another direct statement about Warren, writing: "Elizabeth Warren is incredibly smart."

Trump’s Truth Social reposts cited by the source include: and