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President Donald Trump, who is set to address the nation in a primetime speech Thursday, told reporters this week he has “really big news” and said the address will include elections and voting machines as well as free and fair elections.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito told West Virginia reporters during a conference call Thursday morning that she supports the Save America Act which would require documented proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, a government-issued photo ID, a cross-referencing of statewide voter registration lists with the federal Department of Homeland Security and criminal penalties for elections workers who mistakenly register voters without proof of citizenship.
“We have voter ID laws in West Virginia. They work very well, and I think we have safe and secure elections in our state,” Capito said. “At the same time, there are other states that do unsolicited mail-in ballots, that do ballot harvesting, that I think can be problematic, and that also the Save America Act would shut down those avenues. But the fact of the matter is, we don’t have the votes for this, and the president knows this.”
The U.S. Constitution gives states the control of how they conduct elections, leading many to believe that any changes mandated by the federal government would be unconstitutional.
Instead, Capito said she hopes Trump will offer a positive spin on upcoming elections and how important it is for Republicans to retain control of Congress.
“I am concerned about that,” Capito said. “Focusing back on 2020 is an exercise, but I don’t think it’s an exercise that helps us reach our goals, and that is a safe and secure election in 2026, but also a victory for the conservative principles that we’ve put forward.”
Trump is scheduled to deliver his address to the nation at 9 p.m. Eastern tonight.