GOP state leaders support Trump’s SAVE America Act with new coordinated letters

FIRST ON FOX: Republican governors and attorneys general backed President Donald Trump’s proposal to require proof of citizenship to vote, warning in a special letter that current registration systems rely on the “honor system” and fail to adequately verify who casts ballots in federal elections.

The coalition said the vacancies give the country’s most populous states an illegal “undue influence” on federal elections and how billions of taxpayer dollars are distributed.

The letters, from members of the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Governors and Attorneys General Councils and obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, show the collective support of Republican state leaders for the Protecting Americans’ Voting Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a law Trump previously said he must sign before signing anything else.

Trump recently stepped up pressure for Congress to pass the SAVE Act, known as the SAVE America Act, calling mail-in voting “broken as h—” as the legislation moves to the Senate floor this week.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE ‘TALKING FILIBUSTER’ AND THE LAST ACT

“The big thing coming up is the SAVE America Act in the Senate,” Trump said Tuesday, adding, “Who won’t have voter ID, who won’t have proof of citizenship? …

Senate Republicans have already taken the first steps to advance the bill, voting 51-48 to begin debate, though its path forward remains uncertain as Democrats remain united in opposition.

In a letter to Senate leadership, members of AFPI’s Council of Governors described the SAVE America Act as a “general approach” to ensure that elections are decided “only by American citizens.”

GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE TRY TO DESTROY DEMS’ OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL

People with signs supporting the SAVE Act in Washington, DC (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The letter was signed by a group of Republican governors, including Gov. Arkansas Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and attorneys general from states including Iowa, Alabama and South Carolina.

They argue that while federal law restricts voting in federal elections to US citizens, states “are not required to prove citizenship at the time of registration.”

“Overpopulated and underprotected states … have undue influence over our nation’s lawmaking process and how billions of dollars in tax dollars are distributed,” the governors wrote.

REPS. GOOD, YOU KNOW, HARRIS, ENOUGH: WE WILL BLOCK THE CENT UNTIL THE LAST ACT PASSES.

Those present listened as Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaking at the “Only Citizens Vote” bus rally promoting the passage of the SAVE Act at Upper Senate Park, Sept. 10, 2025, outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The governors also pointed to gaps in the current systems, noting that while many states require identification at the polls, others do not have mechanisms to ensure eligibility at the registration stage. They said they are willing to work with state election officials to enforce the law in a way that protects access to eligible voters while strengthening safeguards.

In a separate letter, Republican attorneys general echoed those concerns, focusing on enforcement and the structure of current voter registration systems.

“Existing voter registration processes rely heavily on the honor system, where voters simply check a box to claim US citizenship without requiring document verification,” the group wrote. The attorneys general said the SAVE law would close that gap by requiring applicants to provide “documentary proof of U.S. citizenship” when registering to vote in federal elections.

They stressed that the bill would maintain state control over the administration of elections.

“[The SAVE Act] it does not hold a national election,” the group wrote, adding that it also would not “deprive American citizens of their liberties.”

The White House is calling President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act “general legislation.” (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The attorneys general also dismissed criticism of the proposal, writing: “It is insulting to suggest that minorities, women, or members of the working class are not intelligent enough to obtain and provide simple proof of citizenship.”

The governors say they intend to implement the law in a way that ensures “no eligible American citizen is unduly burdened” while preventing improper registration.

“Our members should know that their votes are secure and that elections in this country are free, fair and secure,” they wrote.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM

“President Trump’s SAVE America Act is a law supported by many Americans who want to ensure that our elections are secure and that only American citizens vote in American elections,” White House spokeswoman Abigal Jackson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Our elections must be conducted with maximum security and the SAVE America Act will ensure that they are.”

The governors’ letter and the attorney general’s letter can be read from the links provided here.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.