Ari Berman

From Minnesota to Georgia, Trump’s recent attempts to seize state voter data set a chilling precedent for how his administration might interfere in the midterms should Republicans lose the House, Senate, or key state races.

Watch:

The GOP’s “show us your papers” bill Is the latest effort to help Trump take over elections “If the SAVE Act were to pass, it would be the worst voter suppression law that Congress has ever enacted"

During his State of the Union speech, Trump claimed that the SAVE America Act is supposed to protect election integrity.

In actuality? It's just another effort for Trump to take over the midterms.

Unpacking Trump's Voting Proposals from the State of the Union | The Brian Lehrer Show | WNYC Mother Jones' Ari Berman offers analysis of President Trump's State of the Union address, especially his talk of voter fraud and push to pass the SAVE act.

ICYMI, @ariberman.bsky.social offers analysis of Pres. Trump's calls for passage of the SAVE Act:

www.wnyc.org/story/unpack...

Who Save America Act could disenfranchise:

-146 million without passport

-69 million married women who took spouse's last name

-21 million without ready access to citizenship docs

-21 million without current drivers license

-Rural voters forced to drive 4.5 hours to show docs at election office

Trump’s last executive order on elections was blocked by the courts and the next one will be too. He can’t unilaterally usurp the power of Congress & the states

"Save America Act would be worst voter suppression bill ever passed by Congress. 146 million Americans don't have passports. 21 million don't have ready access to citizenship documents. 69 million married women have last name different from birth certificate."

The House passed a bill this week — the SAVE America Act — that "combines a lot of the worst things that Republicans want to do with regards to voting, and it comes at a time when Trump appears dead set to try to interfere in the midterm elections," says @ariberman.bsky.social from @motherjones.com.

30 countries use mail voting

This is a must read. The impact on married women alone is egregious—especially impacting women who are older and more conservative

Key facts about SAVE Act 2.0 you won't hear from GOP sponsors:

-"Show your papers" requirement far more restrictive than voter ID
-Voters would have to show documents in-person at election office, traveling up to 4.5 hours to do so
-States would be forced to hand over voter rolls to Kristi Noem

The GOP’s “show us your papers” bill Is the latest effort to help Trump take over elections “If the SAVE Act were to pass, it would be the worst voter suppression law that Congress has ever enacted"

Breaking: House passes new version of SAVE Act, worst voter suppression bill considered by Congress. Could disenfranchise:

-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

West Virginia, of all places, just rejected the DOJ's demand to turn over its voter rolls

"The DOJ doesn’t have authority to run a state’s elections" said Republican Secretary of State Kris Warner

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Trump’s DOJ is building a voter purge machine—powered by your private data The federal agency ordinarily would prevent attacks on voting rights. Now it’s carrying them out.

Now would be a good time to read my @motherjones.com story with @abbyvesoulis.bsky.social about Pam Bondi’s insane plan to get voter rolls from all 50 states & why it poses such a grave threat to the right to vote www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

The GOP’s “show us your papers” bill Is the latest effort to help Trump take over elections “If the SAVE Act were to pass, it would be the worst voter suppression law that Congress has ever enacted"

Republicans trying to sell new SAVE America Act as voter ID bill. It’s much worse. Requires proof of citizenship such as passport or birth certificate to register to vote which could disenfranchise millions & forces states to hand over voter rolls to Kristi Noem www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

The GOP’s “show us your papers” bill Is the latest effort to help Trump take over elections “If the SAVE Act were to pass, it would be the worst voter suppression law that Congress has ever enacted"

House set to pass new version of SAVE Act today, making terrible bill even worse. Could disenfranchise:

-21 million Americans without access to citizenship papers
-69 million married women who took partner’s name
-21 million without current drivers license

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Republicans want you to show citizenship papers to register to vote & strict forms of photo ID to cast a ballot but won’t require ICE agents to take off their masks

Yes, it's as bad as you suspected. Trump is abusing the power of his office to revive falsehoods and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election—and to orchestrate a phony scenario that will let Republicans skew the midterms.

The FBI's Fulton County raid was based on debunked claims by election deniers The evidence provided for seizing 700 boxes of ballots was shockingly thin.

FBI’s Fulton County affidavit confirmed what we’ve long suspected: seizure of ballots based on discredited/recycled falsehoods about 2020 election pushed by election deniers & designed to sow mistrust in election system so that Trump can interfere in midterms www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Furthermore there is no evidence or even allegations of foreign election interference in the FBI affidavit which raises even more questions about why Tulsi Gabbard was at Fulton County raid

My quick take after reading FBI's Fulton County affidavit: it's a bunch of discredited recycled BS peddled for years by election deniers and it's appalling that a judge signed off on a warrant for the raid based on the "evidence" presented here

Olsen lobbied DOJ to file lawsuit attempting to overturn 2020 election with Supreme Court & was later sanctioned by federal judge for making “false, misleading and unsupported factual assertions” when Kari Lake challenged election results in AZ in 2022

Affidavit for Fulton County FBI raid is out & begins with massive red flag, noting that "criminal investigation originated from referral sent by Kurt Olsen, [Trump's] Director of Election Security & Integrity"

Olsen was leader of 'Stop the Steal' in 2020 storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

YouTube video by The Joy Reid Show Bad Bunny & Humanity Win, ICE & MAGA Lose | The Joy Reid Show LIVE

Thanks @joyannreid.bsky.social for having me on last night. "False conspiracies about an election that took place 6 years ago fueled an FBI raid of 700 boxes of ballots, then the DNI put the president on with the agents. This is the type of thing the Kremlin would do" www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugeD...

YouTube video by Brian Tyler Cohen Justice Department issues GRAVE THREAT ahead of election

We need to stop treating Trump’s interference in midterms as a hypothetical. He’s already interfering with the vote, as I told @briantylercohen.bsky.social. ICE terrorizing blue cities, DOJ demanding voter rolls, FBI seizing ballots all intended as voter suppression www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNfH...

Federal judges in Michigan, California & Oregon have now rejected DOJ attempts to force states to hand over voter rolls

Read this for why it matters www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

"It's not a hypothetical anymore. Trump is interfering with the 2026 election. He is using the full weight of the federal government to interfere, and I think if it was treated that way, we would be having a very different conversation."

That would explain why Tulsi Gabbard "investigating" voting machines in Puerto Rico & present at FBI raid in Fulton County even though DNI prohibited by law from participating in domestic law enforcement operations

Trump Starts the Steal It seems Trump won’t let this loss go—or happen again.

I'm not a doomer. I believe we have a robust system of checks and balances baked into our elections systems. But that's why this convo with @ariberman.bsky.social is useful -- you can hear us reach some pretty chilling conclusions anyway. The most important: get involved slate.com/podcasts/wha...

“Why do they want Fulton County? Well, that’s obvious. It’s the biggest county in Georgia, and it houses Atlanta. If you control Fulton County that basically guarantees for Republicans they win every statewide race.”

Trump’s FBI raid could lead to a takeover of elections in Georgia’s largest county Trump wants control "over the voting in at least 15 places.” He could start in Fulton County, Georgia.

Trump wants to take over voting in at least 15 places

FBI raid in Fulton County GA now fueling MAGA calls for election takeover there

That would allow them to purge voters, cut polling places, limit early voting & challenge election results. Very scary for 2026

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...