Trump raises prospect of national security emergency if SAVE Act fails

Donald Trump has declined to rule out declaring a national security emergency if Congress fails to pass the so-called SAVE Act before November's midterm elections.

In an interview with conservative outlet Real America's Voice released Tuesday (local time), host Wayne Allyn Root suggested that Trump could declare a national security emergency over elections if the SAVE Act stalled. Trump responded in a way that indicated he was not dismissing the idea.

Root argued that "if Congress ultimately fails to pass the SAVE Act, the president has the authority to declare a national security emergency for elections," adding that "no one can challenge a national security emergency declared by the US president" and that it "can only be overturned by a two-thirds vote of both chambers of Congress."

Trump cut Root off, saying only: "I'll just say that stranger things have happened in this world — I'll leave it at that."

The SAVE Act would require voters to submit proof of citizenship when registering and present photo identification at the polls. It would also require states to submit their voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security.

Trump has pushed the bill as one of his top legislative priorities for months, framing it as a measure to strengthen election integrity ahead of the November midterms. The legislation has faced a difficult path in the Senate, however.

Trump has repeatedly called for greater federal involvement in election administration. In February, he said the federal government and the Republican Party should "take over elections in at least 15 states."

Election administration in the United States has traditionally been led by state governments, with the federal government playing a supporting role. The Trump administration has sought to expand federal authority over elections through measures including the SAVE Act.

CNN said it was unclear whether Trump could actually seize control of election administration, but suggested his intense focus on the SAVE Act could be laying the groundwork for more drastic action down the road.