When President Trump addresses the nation tonight, Senator Shelley Moore Capito hopes he doesn’t dive into theories about the 2020 election being rigged.
“I hope that tonight, that when he talks about the 2020 election or the 2026 election that he can have a positive spin on on what he thinks the future is and how important it is — obviously, I’ll speak politically here — for the Republicans to retain control for his own presidency,” Capito said during a briefing today in response to a question by reporter Steven Allen Adams of the Ogden Newspapers.
“And I am concerned about that. I’m focused on what’s going to happen in the future. Focusing focusing back on 2020 is is an exercise, but I don’t think it’s an exercise that helps us reach our goals, and that is a safe and secure election in 2026 but also a victory for the conservative principles that we’ve put forward.”
President Trump has said he will discuss election security and voting machines, saying he would he would share “really, really big news” during the primetime address.
The speech is anticipated to make reference to sensitive documents that have recently been declassified by an administration task force.
Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has been central to this effort, operating under a sweeping directive from President Trump to declassify almost any records he chooses.
There’s a lot on the line for the coming general election, which could tilt the balance of power in Congress, particularly in the narrowly divided House of Representatives. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to reclaim the majority.
Democrats have an uphill path to winning the Senate, where the balance is currently 53 seats for Republicans and 45 seats for Democrats along with two independents who caucus with Democrats. So Democrats would need to flip four seats to take control of the Senate while not losing any they currently hold.
A top priority for President Trump has been an election bill called the SAVE Act — or, The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act
The proposal would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. The bill aims to prevent noncitizens from voting, but critics argue it introduces unnecessary barriers that could disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters.
The legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives in February, but has been stalled in the Senate, where advocates have been unable secure the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster.
Trump has repeatedly called on Senate Republicans to abolish or drastically alter the filibuster, contending that eliminating the 60-vote threshold is necessary to push through his legislative agenda, including election integrity bills like the SAVE America Act.
Capito, in today’s briefing, described herself as “a big supporter of the SAVE America Act.”
“I’m on the bill. I voted for it in all different iterations, whether it’s proof of citizenship or whether it’s ID. We have voter ID laws in West Virginia; they work very well, and I think we have safe and secure elections in our state.”
But realistically, she said, “We don’t have the votes for this, and the president knows this.”