Recalling a recent meeting with India’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Trump, in a Truth Social post, called for the SAVE America Act to emulate a similar voting model in the US.

Trump wrote, “Earlier this month, India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, asked our Administration — How can you have Elections in the U.S. without a valid Photo ID?

“India’s last Election had 646,000,000 Voters! Less than 1% voted by mail, and every single Voter had to have a VALID Photo Identity Document. We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now!”

US envoy backs Trump’s push

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has backed Trump’s push for the new legislation mandating stricter voter identification requirements under the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

Gor posted on X, “President Donald J. Trump is absolutely correct! 646 MILLION voters, every single one required an ID in India’s last election. Congress should pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!”

What is the SAVE America Act?

The SAVE America Act, short for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, is a Republican-backed US election bill championed by Trump.

The legislation seeks to tighten federal voting rules by requiring proof of US citizenship when registering to vote and government-issued photo ID when casting a ballot.

Key provisions

  • Proof of citizenship: People registering for federal elections would have to provide documentary evidence of US citizenship, such as a US passport or qualifying government documents.
  • Photo ID requirement: Voters would have to present a valid government-issued photo ID when voting.
  • Voter-roll checks: The legislation seeks stronger procedures to identify and remove non-citizens from federal voter rolls.
  • Enforcement: It would strengthen penalties and enforcement mechanisms related to voter registration violations.

Why is the bill controversial?

Republicans argue that the legislation would strengthen election security and ensure that only US citizens participate in federal elections.

Democrats and voting-rights groups, however, argue that non-citizen voting is already rare and that stricter documentation requirements could make it more difficult for eligible citizens to register and vote, particularly those who may not have easy access to citizenship documents.

Current status

The updated SAVE America Act passed the US House in February 2026 by 218–213, with one Democrat joining Republicans in supporting the measure.

The legislation has faced opposition in the Senate and has not become law.