Citing India’s 646-million-voter election, Donald Trump has argued that the US should adopt nationwide photo-ID requirements and tighter restrictions on mail-in voting.
BY PC Bureau
August 18, 2026: President Donald Trump has renewed his call for stricter voter identification rules in the United States, citing India’s recent general election as an example of what he described as a robust system of electoral verification.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump referred to remarks attributed to India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who had questioned how elections could be conducted in the US without mandatory photo identification. Trump said India’s election system demonstrated the need for a nationwide voter ID requirement in the US.
“Earlier this month, India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, asked our Administration — How can you have Elections in the US without a valid Photo ID,” Trump wrote.
He said India’s latest general election involved 646 million voters, with fewer than one per cent voting by mail, and claimed that every voter was required to produce a valid photo identity document. Trump used the comparison to renew his demand that Congress pass the SAVE America Act.
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“India’s last election had 646,000,000 voters! Less than one per cent voted by mail, and every single Voter had to have a VALID Photo Identity Document. We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now,” he said.
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump reveals even INDIA has more secure elections than America, as 646 MILLION Indians voted, and EVERY SINGLE ONE was required to have a valid photo ID
Trump should declare a NATIONAL EMERGENCY for elections, REQUIRING photo ID pic.twitter.com/dPwrTd9Zdc
— AXEL VASA (@AxelVasa88) August 18, 2026
The remarks were part of Trump’s broader campaign for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act. The proposed legislation would require proof of US citizenship to register to vote, establish national voter identification requirements and significantly restrict voting by mail.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor also endorsed Trump’s position. In a post on X, Gor wrote: “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!”
Introduced on January 29, the legislation seeks to restrict federal voting to US citizens by requiring documentary proof of citizenship during voter registration. It would also limit access to mail ballots largely to people who are ill, disabled, serving in the military or travelling, while requiring states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.
The White House has promoted the legislation as a “common sense, bipartisan” measure, arguing that “American citizens — and only American citizens — should decide American elections.”
The administration has also pointed to countries such as India and Brazil when making the case for tighter election safeguards, contrasting their voter-identification systems with the US system, where citizenship is generally affirmed through voter registration procedures rather than a single nationwide photo-ID requirement.
The bill, however, remains stalled amid deep partisan divisions over voting rules. The Senate adjourned for a five-week recess without taking further action on the measure.
