Power Grab/Fire anyone who can stop him
At Mount Rushmore, Trump said that with the filibuster ended and the SAVE America Act passed, “we will not lose an election for a hundred years”
The July 3, 2026 remarks tied a voting bill that has passed the House to a change in Senate rules that Majority Leader John Thune, present, had said lacked the votes.
What happened
On July 3, 2026, Trump told a crowd at Mount Rushmore: “We can only lose the midterms if we allow ourselves to lose the midterms, if we are foolish, stupid and unwise.” He continued: “But if we terminate the filibuster, as we should do, and immediately vote for the SAVE America Act, then we will not lose an election for a hundred years. We do that, we’re not going to lose an election for a hundred years.” Audience members shouted “100 years” back.
The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot. The House had passed it. It was stalled in the Senate because Republicans lack the 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. Majority Leader John Thune, who was present, had said the votes to end the filibuster did not exist.
Trump had been pressing Thune to abolish the filibuster, and he repeated the demand in a July 16 primetime address on election security.
Who benefited
Trump and the Republican Party, in his own account: he described the bill and the rules change as the way to guarantee his side does not lose for a century. He said it to a friendly crowd at a national celebration, which gave the proposal a patriotic frame.
Who wanted something
Trump delivered the line, and House Republicans had passed the SAVE America Act. Allied groups have promoted proof-of-citizenship requirements since 2024. Thune had resisted ending the filibuster, and the speech was in part pressure on him.
Who lost out
Eligible voters who lack ready access to a passport or birth certificate would carry the burden, including married women who changed their names, the poor, the elderly and naturalized citizens. The Senate minority would lose the leverage the filibuster provides. Voters generally were told the goal of an election law is a predetermined result.
Why it matters
The president described a voting bill not as a security measure but as a means to ensure his party does not lose elections for 100 years. He said the Senate’s rules should be changed to pass it. The quote is his own, on tape and in transcript.
Sources GovInfo (Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents) (primary)South Dakota SearchlightRoll Call / Factba.se