ID for DNC, But Not to Vote? Cheating over Fair Elections — Senate Libs prepare to KILL the SAA

Summary

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Episode Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode Title: ID for DNC, But Not to Vote? Cheating over Fair Elections — Senate Libs prepare to KILL the SAA
Date: March 18, 2026
Host: Ben Ferguson
Key Guests: Senator John Thune, Senator Ted Cruz, President Donald Trump (audio clips)

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the current battle in the U.S. Senate over the "Save America Act" (SAA), a legislative effort backed by Republicans and President Trump to enact stricter voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements for federal elections. The act also includes provisions on banning biological males from women's sports and prohibiting gender transition medical procedures for minors. Ben Ferguson analyzes the political dynamics, explains procedural challenges in the Senate, and features fresh commentary from Donald Trump, Senator Thune, and Senator Cruz, highlighting the Republican strategy and frustrations around bipartisan hurdles.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Save America Act" Hits the Senate Floor

• Ben Ferguson kicks off with enthusiasm for the SAA reaching the Senate. He frames it as a "big win for election integrity" but notes internal GOP opposition.
  • "The Save America act is finally on the floor of the Senate ... Big win for election integrity ... Problem is there's a couple Republicans that are not wanting to play ball..." ([03:40])

2. President Trump's Push for Election Security and Conservative Culture Policies

• Donald Trump outlines the SAA’s aims: voter ID, proof of citizenship, banning mail-in ballots, and socially conservative measures (gender in sports, medical transitions).
  • "The biggest thing coming up is the Save America act in the Senate. That's voter ID and proof of citizenship and no mail in ballots... And then we added two more. One is no men in women sports... and no transgender mutilization of our children." ([04:34])
• Trump presents these as overwhelmingly popular issues, “polling at 98-99%,” and says only those wanting to “cheat” oppose voter ID and citizenship rules.
  • "Who would not have voter ID, who would not have proof of citizenship? And the only people who would want not to have that are people that want to cheat.” ([05:11])

3. Mainstream Support and Internal GOP Division

• Ben Ferguson stresses that support for voter ID and citizenship requirements is "overwhelming" and goes beyond the Republican base.
  • "This isn’t a fringe issue. It’s literally a mainstream demand from people on all sides...” ([06:00])
• The SAA is cast as a litmus test for lawmakers: vote for secure elections or against the will of the people.

4. Legislative Obstacles in the Senate

• Senator John Thune (Majority Leader) gives a pragmatic view: passing the SAA requires 60 votes, a tall order given Democratic opposition.
  • “If you bring this to the floor and knowing it can't clear 60 votes...is this legislating, or are you...just messaging for the election? Well, it’s legislating...the goal is to achieve a policy outcome.” ([08:24])
• Thune admits the procedural barrier, suggesting that even if the bill fails, it creates a clear vote record for midterm messaging.

5. The "50 Republican" Strategy: Cruz on Senate Procedure

• Senator Ted Cruz explains a strategy where if all 50 Republicans hold together, they could force continuous quorum calls and resist Democratic tactics, but this would require relentless unity and physical presence.
  • "50 Republicans have to...produce 50 bodies...could go for days or weeks. There’s some senators in the Republican Party that just would rather go home...They don't want to stay over the weekend..." ([11:19] - [11:55])
• Cruz laments that only 47-48 are currently committed, falling short of the needed 50.
  • “Right now we have, I don’t know, 47, 48, but we don’t have 50...I hope it changes.” ([12:12])

6. Likelihood of Passage and Pressure from Trump

• Cruz predicts the SAA will probably only get about “50, 51, 52” votes—short of the 60 required—unless something changes at the last minute.
  • “We will likely vote, have the final vote on Thursday ... we will end up probably with 50, 51, 52 votes ... so the vote will fail if nothing changes.” ([12:33] - [12:49])
• Ben and Cruz both highlight President Trump's role as the “X factor,” suggesting Trump may ramp up the pressure on reluctant GOP senators.
  • “How many phone calls will he be making to put real pressure on many of these Republicans?” ([13:18])
  • "The President has said that multiple times ... but at the end of the day, you can’t wave a magic wand and produce the votes.” ([13:03])

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Senator John Thune on photo ID consistency:
  • “You need to present a photo ID to buy a beer, to board a plane...Why not to vote?” ([03:09])
• President Donald Trump on election integrity:
  • “We’re the only country in the world that does it that way. Corrupt as hell.” ([04:45])
• Senator Ted Cruz on procedural grind:
  • "Anytime the Democrats want to, they can suggest the absence of a quorum, and we have to be able to produce 50 bodies.” ([11:24])
  • “There’s some senators...that just would rather go home on Thursdays like they always do...They don’t want to fight for this for a week or two.” ([11:43])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:09] – Senator Thune on need for voter ID
• [03:40] – Ben Ferguson on SAA reaching the Senate
• [04:34] – [05:40] – Donald Trump audio: SAA priorities and criticism of opposition
• [08:24] – Thune and Fox News' Brett Baier: 60-vote hurdle and politics
• [11:19] – [13:03] – Senator Ted Cruz explaining Senate procedural options and GOP unity problems
• [12:33] – Cruz on likely SAA vote count and potential failure
• [13:03] – [13:18] – Discussion of Trump’s pressure tactics on GOP holdouts

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Episode Tone and Style

The tone is urgent, combative, and clearly rooted in the Republican/conservative perspective, frequently invoking “common sense,” “mainstream demand,” and emphasizing Democratic obstruction. Both Ben Ferguson and his featured guests, especially Cruz and Trump, mix direct calls-to-action with frustration at internal GOP defections and accusations of cheating against opponents. The episode is tightly focused on the SAA’s strategy and perceived political necessity heading into the midterms.

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Summary

This episode of The 47 Morning Update delivers a charged, insider-focused analysis of the Senate fight over the Save America Act. It highlights both the overwhelming Republican and public support for voter ID and proof of citizenship legislation, and the complex, hardball procedural tactics needed to overcome Senate opposition. With high-profile commentary from Trump, Thune, and Cruz, listeners get a clear sense of why the Republican base and leadership see this as a defining issue—and what internal and external obstacles stand in the way of its passage.

Transcript

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[Donald Trump]

Okay.

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

Shoot.

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[Senator John Thune]

You need to present a photo ID to buy a beer, to board a plane and to do so many other things that are part of American life. Why not to vote? And the great American, the great number of American people agree completely with this that you should have to have a photo ID and be a citizen in order to vote. The Save America act is the best way to secure and safely provide elect that represent the viewpoints of the American people.

[Ben Ferguson]

You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

Good Wednesday morning. It's nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And it excites me to say this. The Save America act is finally on the floor of the Senate. So what is going to happen next? I've got all the details for you, including what Donald Trump said and what Senator Cruz said about how this is working its way through the Senate Republican leadership. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. It is a big win for election integrity. The Save act is heading to the Senate floor with a lot of Republicans that are excited about it. The problem is there's a couple Republicans that are not wanting to play ball on the issue, which is truly frustrating and also shocking. The President of the United States of America at the White House saying this about the SAVE act moving to the Senate finally for real action.

[Donald Trump]

The biggest thing coming up is a Save America act in the Senate. That's voter ID and proof of citizenship and no mail in ballots. You know, corrupt mail in ballots. We're the only country in the world that does it that way. Corrupt as hell. And then we added two more. We're going to be, I think they're going to be adding a couple of more. One is no men and women sports. That seems like an easy one. I believe that's 99%. And no transgender mutilization of our children. None. That's only polling at 98% speaker. So hopefully the Senate is going to be able to get that. You can't ask for five better things. I think in terms of, and it's not politics. It's really good for it. So good for our nation. I mean, who would not have voter id, who would not have proof of citizenship? And the only people who would want not to have that are people that want to cheat. It's very, very simple. We can't let that happen.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now you notice there that the President is challenging the Senate on multiple issues, saying it's not just a SAVE act, but also transgender sports issue as well, and protecting children from mutilation. Now, after months of pushing and negotiations and rallying public support, finally the GOP leadership has delivered on a core promise. And that was what the President was excited about, protecting American elections by ensuring that only U.S. citizens are voting in federal elections. The SAVE act, which requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, has become the cornerstone issue for Republicans and the top priority, as you heard the President mentioning there. And he is saying, get it done.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Now.

[Ben Ferguson]

The momentum behind the bill is undeniable when it comes to American support. The problem is there are still some Republicans that are saying no. Now, recent polling overwhelmingly supports this. Strong majority is backing voter ID requirements as well as proof of citizenship measures. This isn't a fringe issue. It's literally a mainstream demand from people on all sides of the country. Republicans are framing this as common sense reform. And the American people are saying that's exactly what they see as well, secure the vote, protect citizens, restore trust in our elections. Now, GOP leaders say the bill is about one simple thing and this is what the President has said over and over again. This is about American elections should be decided by American citizens. President Donald Trump is applauding the move, calling it a massive step forward for election integrity. Also praising Senate Republicans for fighting to protect the voice of every illegal voter in the country. Trump has also made it clear this is just the beginning. He heard swift passage in the Senate and signaling that election security will remain front and center heading into the next midterm election cycle. Republicans in Congress are also leaning into the momentum, arguing that this vote puts every lawmaker on record, forcing a clear choice on election Day, stand for secure elections or oppose safeguards that the majority of Americans support. Now that also brings us to reality. Senator Thune, he is the majority leader in the Senate, sat down with Fox News Channel's Brett Baier and he asked him about the reality of the SAVE act and what's going to happen here is what he had to say about getting to that 60 vote threshold for the SAVE act to actually pass some votes.

[Senator John Thune]

But, you know, the frustration here, you have head counters that look at the votes, and if you bring this to the floor and knowing it can't clear 60 votes, you're not willing to. To kind of vote procedurally to change the rules to pass it, then is this, you know, legislating, or are you kind of just messaging for the election? Well, it's legislating. I mean, actually, we the. If you look at substance of the policy, this is about safe and secure and elections in this country and making sure that, you know, we have an election process that is actually with the right people, not just the, you know, the illegals who are in this country have an opportunity to vote. We want to make sure that if you're in this country, you have to be a citizen of this country actually to exercise and cast your vote. So I think that's a fairly simple position and one that Democrats ought to eventually get on board with. But if they don't, we will. I mean, it's obviously an issue that we will be able to use, I think, in the fall elections. But so it's a. It has politics around it. But this is a goal, is to achieve a policy outcome, and that is to try and get a requirement in law that in federal elections that you would have to be a citizen in order to register to vote and you'd have to show an ID in order to vote in our elections. And there's no way to split it up to do pieces of that. Is there any way any piece of this could get passed to 60 votes? Well, we'll see. I mean, we're looking at how to do that. There are other pieces of the Save America act in addition to those two. Those are the two that pass the House. The President has also introduced the idea of mail in voting, and so we've got some reforms and modifications to that. There's also the issue of whether or not biological males ought to be able to compete in girls sports. There is the transgender surgery issue. Those are all issues on which I think most Americans, at least if they're Americans, who are applying common sense, vote for and support in very big numbers. The only folks who don't support, it appears, at least at the moment, are Democrats in the Senate, but we'll see if that changes over the course of time. What I've said all along, Brett, is that what we will do is we will guarantee a debate on this issue. Obviously, it's a big priority for the President. There are a lot of people across the country who want to see this voted on, and we will guarantee a vote at the end of that.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now, to be clear, Senator Thune isn't telling you every option available to actually get a real vote on or to get it passed. I should say without getting to 60, there are other options. Senator Cruz was explaining exactly what one of those options would be. The problem is finding 50 Republicans that are willing to go along with it. And what it would mean is working overtime and having a night and day back and forth with the Democrats forcing it to become a reality. Now, this is something that's been done in the past, and this is Senator Cruz explaining exactly how it could be done now.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You've got to have 50 Republicans who will stand together, because the 50 Republicans have to. Number one, anytime the Democrats want to, they can suggest the absence of a quorum, and we have to be able to produce 50 bodies.

[Ben Ferguson]

Oh, everybody's got to be there. Okay, so everybody's got to be there.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. You've got to physically be able to produce.

[Ben Ferguson]

Could go for. To be clear, that could go, as you were saying, for days. Right?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

For days or weeks. Yes.

[Ben Ferguson]

And in other words, there's some senators in the Republican Party that just would rather go home.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

Would rather go home on Thursdays like they always do. They don't want to stay over the weekend. They don't want to fight for this for a week or two.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And secondly, the Democrats can tee up amendments and try to force votes on amendments, and we got to have 50 Republicans that reject their amendments, that stand together. And right now we have, I don't know, 47, 48, but we don't have 50. And so we're having an argument with a handful who are saying no, and I hope it changes.

[Ben Ferguson]

But.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

But right now, right now, we don't have 50.

[Ben Ferguson]

Final question on this one. When will the American people know what day will you guys make this decision on either trying to vote for that or just having a straight up vote that you know you're gonna come up short on.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. If nothing changes, we will likely vote, have the final vote on Thursday of this week, and we will end up probably with 50, 51, 52 votes for the Save America act, but we'll need 60. And so the vote will fail if nothing changes. That's where we're headed.

[Ben Ferguson]

And then do you expect the President to weigh in heavy on the strategy here? Does he know these two options and how much influence would it have if the President came out and said, you know, damn it, men and women, stay in Washington D.C. and fight this thing out and let's see what happens.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, the President has said that multiple times and that has been a significant part of the argument. But we still, at the end of the day, you can't wave a magic wand and produce the votes. And we're still frustratingly short of 50.

[Ben Ferguson]

So the one big X factor here is also President Trump. What will he say over the next 24 hours? How many phone calls will he be making to put real pressure on many of these Republicans? And is there a chance that you could get the 50 Republicans needed for a filibuster? This is all playing out in real time. One thing is for sure, the President is focused on it. And I also think it's very clear to say he's not backing down. So we'll keep covering it. And the President said he's going to keep fighting for it no matter what. And that should make every Trump supporter excited right now.

Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now and for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here tomorrow.

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Donald Trump]

Okay.

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[Ben Ferguson]

Rock, paper scissors. Shoot.

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No.

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