Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), facing a competitive GOP primary runoff and seeking Trump's endorsement, reversed his longstanding support for the legislative filibuster to support passing the SAVE America Act in March 2026. Cornyn wrote a New York Post op-ed titled 'Why the SAVE Act matters more than the filibuster.'
Trump is conditioning his endorsement of Cornyn on the bill's passage. The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship (passport or birth certificate) to register to vote and photo ID to cast a ballot. Trump privately told GOP lawmakers at his Miami golf course that banning mail ballots is 'the only way to guarantee the midterms.'
Trump demanded a mail ballot ban be added to the bill, but even House Republicans couldn't pass that version. Senate Majority Leader Thune scheduled a floor vote but acknowledged there aren't enough votes to eliminate the filibuster, saying 'opposition runs very deep.'
The stakes are fundamental: 1 in 4 Republicans voted by mail in 2024. Trump is demanding Republicans destroy a procedural safeguard (the filibuster) to pass a bill that would make it harder for their own voters to cast ballots — because he believes it will help him control the 2026 midterms.