Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Steele called former President Donald Trump‘s remarks to House Republicans about ensuring the inclusion of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in a stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown, “the blind being led by the stupid.”
On Sunday, Steele, co-host of MSNBC‘s The Weekend, read aloud Trump’s Wednesday Truth Social post: “If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form. Democrats are registering Illegal Voters by the TENS OF THOUSANDS, as we speak.” Steele stopped reading and interjected, “a lie,” before continuing to read the rest of the post. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2024 election, just as there was none in 2020, despite Trump’s repeated claims.
In response to Trump’s Truth Social post, Steele, who served as the RNC chair from 2009 to 2011 and is a critic of the former president, said, “We don’t have an operating budget for this nation right now because of this nonsense from someone who is unserious about our nation’s business,” saying that House Republicans are “the blind being led by the stupid,” in reference to Trump.
Newsweek has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment via email on Sunday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, backs a stopgap bill that would extend the current government funding levels for another six months, until March 25, and includes the SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship for voting in federal elections and requires states to remove noncitizens from voting lists.
On Wednesday, over a dozen Republicans, and almost all Democrats except for three, voted against the continuing resolution (CR), with a total vote 202 to 220. Lawmakers currently have until September 30 to pass a spending bill in order to avoid a government shutdown. The package also included the SAVE Act.
The House speaker told reporters after the vote that he was “disappointed” the measure didn’t pass but that he would look for a way forward. “We’ll draw up another play, and we’ll come up with a solution,” the speaker said, per a copy of his remarks to reporters shared with Newsweek. “I’m already talking to colleagues about their many ideas. We have time to fix the situation, and we’ll get right to it.”
Newsweek reached out to Johnson’s communications director for comment via email on Sunday.
Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele is seen on July 29, 2017, in Pasadena, California. Steele called former President Donald Trump’s remarks to House Republicans about ensuring the inclusion of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in a stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown, “the blind being led by the stupid.”
Michael Schwartz/Getty Images
Earlier in the week, several conservatives have criticized Johnson for pushing the CR, including Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky who said on the House floor on Wednesday that the legislation is “insincere and unserious.”
“Your bill does NOT responsibly fund government,” the congressman wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in response to a post from Johnson. “It’s 12 bills rolled into one bill that continues the profligate spending that’s ruining our country. The fact that you’ve added a 13th bill to it does not make it a serious solution. Please quit insulting our constituents.”
Johnson has said that the SAVE Act’s inclusion is essential to safeguard upcoming elections, citing concerns that “millions and millions of illegals…have come across the border” and might attempt to vote illegally.
However, critics, including many Democrats, note that non-citizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections, casting doubt on the necessity of the bill. Voting for federal offices in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., is restricted to citizens only. Trump, the Republican nominee, has continued to push claims of widespread election and voting fraud.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has been clear in his opposition to the shutdown strategy, telling reporters on Tuesday, “One thing you cannot have is a government shutdown. It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election, because certainly we’d get the blame.”
