Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) doubled down on his support for the SAVE America Act during a Sunday appearance on NBC's "Meet The Press," telling host Ryan Nobles that they simply view election fraud "differently." The exchange occurred as Nobles pressed Marshall on the necessity of the legislation, which would require voters to provide proof of citizenship before casting a ballot.
Minimal Fraud Evidence Cited
Nobles referenced data from the Heritage Foundation, which has documented only about 100 instances of noncitizen voting since the 1980s — a figure that suggests election fraud is not a widespread problem. Despite this, Marshall insisted the SAVE America Act is a positive measure because the election process "needs to be trustworthy."
When Nobles asked for a single example of fraud that the act could have prevented and that would have altered an election outcome, Marshall replied, "Yeah, Ryan, I guess we just look at this differently." He continued, "I think again I’m going back to that an election process needs to be trustworthy, that the election process is important to the backbone and the survival of this nation."
Marshall Questions Democratic Opposition
Marshall pivoted to questioning why Democrats oppose the measure. "What are Democrats running from? Why are they afraid? If what you’re saying is true, then why are you worried about this? Why not have voter ID? Why not have some type of proof of citizenship?"
The SAVE America Act would give Republicans an edge in upcoming midterms by potentially disenfranchising voters without citizenship documents. President Donald Trump has tied the bill to housing legislation, refusing to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. Marshall described this tactic as "classic Donald Trump negotiation style."
GOP Infighting Over Trump's Tactics
Behind the scenes, Trump's refusal to sign the housing bill, combined with four Senate Republicans voting to end the war in Iran, sparked a shouting match between Trump and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Wednesday. Most other Senate Republicans offered only sarcastic responses about the meeting, but Marshall defended the argument on Sunday.
"I’m just shocked that there’s a world out there that thinks that grown people can’t have a firm discussion," Marshall said. He added that Trump "feels like his own team pulled his legs out from behind him." Drawing on his background, Marshall said, "I’ve been through so many hospital board meetings with doctors yelling at each other over what time surgery should start. And maybe I was part of some of those yelling matches as well. Look, but it worked."
