Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Trump Renews Noncitizen Voting Claim, Urges Passage of SAVE Act
Donald Trump said more than 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally in the 2020 election.
He said the number came from comparing 128 million voter records with citizenship records.
He said another 32 million records would be checked later.
Trump predicted that the number of alleged illegal votes would grow.
He again said that he won the election, although Joe Biden defeated him by more than seven million votes nationally.
Trump wants Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.
The proposal would require proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and photo identification to vote.
It would also restrict some mail voting and remove noncitizens from voter rolls.
Critics said the alleged votes would not, by themselves, prove that the election result should change.
Donald Trump claimed an initial review found more than 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally in the 2020 election.
Trump said the review compared 128 million voter records with citizenship records and would examine 32 million more.
He again asserted that he won the 2020 presidential election against Joe Biden.
Trump urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require citizenship documentation and photo identification for federal voting.
Critics said the claimed figure would be less than 0.02% of votes cast and would not by itself establish that Trump won.
- Who
- Donald Trump, Joe Biden, the United States Census Bureau, Congress, the White House, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar are identified in the reports.
- What
- Trump claimed that more than 24,000 noncitizens illegally voted in 2020 and urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.
- When
- Trump made the claims in Truth Social posts reported on August 19, 2026, following remarks reported on August 18.
- Where
- The statements were made on Truth Social in the United States; India was cited as a comparison for voter identification.
- Why
- Trump and the White House said stricter citizenship documentation and identification requirements would help ensure that only US citizens vote in federal elections.
Supporters of the SAVE America Act
Critics of the SAVE America Act
Election security
Supporters of the SAVE America Act
Trump, Republicans, and the White House said citizenship proof and photo identification would help ensure that only US citizens vote in federal elections.
Critics of the SAVE America Act
Democrats argued that the requirements could make voting more difficult for eligible citizens who have trouble obtaining citizenship documents or government-issued identification.
Significance of the claimed figure
Supporters of the SAVE America Act
Trump said the review showed that more than 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally and predicted that the figure would increase after another 32 million records were examined.
Critics of the SAVE America Act
The Washington Post report cited in the articles said that, even if the figure were accepted at face value, it would represent less than two-hundredths of 1% of votes cast and would not establish that Trump won.
Effect on the 2020 result
Supporters of the SAVE America Act
Trump used the claim to renew his assertion that he won the 2020 election.
Critics of the SAVE America Act
The reports said that proving illegal votes occurred would not by itself overturn the result; it would also need to be shown that enough such votes were cast for Joe Biden in states determining the Electoral College outcome.
- Claimed noncitizen votes
- Trump said an initial review identified more than 24,000 noncitizens who voted illegally in 2020.
- Records reviewed
- Trump said the initial review covered 128,000,000 voter records.
- Further review
- Trump said another 32,000,000 voter records would be examined.
- 2020 national result
- The reports said Joe Biden defeated Trump by more than seven million votes nationally.
- Proposed requirements
- The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of US citizenship for federal voter registration and valid photo identification at polling stations.
- Other proposed measures
- The legislation would restrict mail voting to specified circumstances and direct states to remove noncitizens from federal voter rolls.
- House vote
- The Republican-led House passed a revised version in February by a 218-213 vote; an earlier version stalled in the Senate.
- India comparison
- Trump said India’s most recent general election had 646,000,000 voters, less than 1% voting by mail, and required valid photo identification.
