US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to bypass Congress and impose new voting laws ahead of the November midterm elections, where his Republican Party fears losing control of the legislature.
Trump said he would soon issue an executive order to enforce rules if Congress does not pass a law requiring photo identification to vote and other nationwide reforms.
Any attempt is likely to face a legal challenge that could ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.
“There will be voter I.D. for the midterm elections, whether approved by Congress or not!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“If we can’t get it through Congress, there are legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted. I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an executive order,” he added.
While many US jurisdictions require photo ID to cast ballots, not all do. Trump and many Republicans, without evidence, claim that areas without such rules have allowed significant voter fraud.
The Trump-backed “SAVE America” election reform act passed in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives this week.
However, it is expected to fail in the Senate, where the Republican majority is too slim to pass the law without Democratic support.
In addition to requiring photo ID to vote, the bill would require proof of citizenship to register.
Critics say the measures would disenfranchise millions, particularly young people and ethnic minorities, because many lack passports or paper birth certificates. An analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice found more than 21 million Americans lack easy access to such documents.
Trump’s push for federal election reforms also raises constitutional concerns, as US states retain broad control over election administration. It remains unclear how Trump could legally enforce a national voter ID mandate.
At 79, the former president has repeatedly overturned White House norms. In his post on Friday, he repeated his widely debunked claim that mass fraud threatens election security — a falsehood he has long used to justify his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Polls show Trump’s Republican Party faces a serious risk of losing its narrow control of Congress in the midterms, particularly the House. If Democrats win, they have signalled they will block Trump’s agenda and could pursue impeachment.
