Trump Outrage Watch: Saving us from SAVE

Donald Trump continues to prod the Senate to end the filibuster and pass the undemocratic SAVE America Act—this time using the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham as an instrument. But it’s still a heavy lift.

Trump went out of his way on two Sunday shows, CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press” to say that Graham had called him shortly before his death specifically to say he strongly supported the SAVE bill—which would require voters to produce documentary proof of citizenship (a passport or birth certificate) to register to vote—and thought it would pass. He also said Graham was “coming aboard” on the idea of terminating the filibuster, which would theoretically make it easier to pass the SAVE bill.

Whether or not all that was actually true—Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, whose cause he thought Trump was beginning to support—the war was likely more on Graham’s mind than SAVE. But Trump could well try to use Graham’s widespread respect in the Senate to argue that passing SAVE was a way to honor the South Carolina Senator.

Passing SAVE has been Trump’s highest priority. The bill would substantially reduce voting this year and in 2028 by Democratic groups lacking passports or birth certificates—minorities, the aged, women whose documents might not contain their married names, young voters, the aged and voters living a long distance from registration offices. 

But though the bill has passed the House and may again, it lacks the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate. In test votes, four Republicans opposed it—Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and Mitch McConnell. All 47 Democrats opposed it. Even if the four Republicans were moved to change their votes, the bill still would lack 60 votes. Democrats are unlikely to shift. Trump wants the Senate to terminate the filibuster, so the number needed to pass a bill would be a majority.

To terminate the filibuster also takes 60 votes, which Republicans lack. Trump would have to persuade (or bribe or threaten) seven Democrats to pass it, which is highly unlikely. House Speaker Mike Johnson is floating the idea of attaching SAVE to a must-pass budget bill that could be considered under no-filibuster Reconciliation rules, but the Senate parliamentarian has ruled against using that procedure for bills on different subjects. So it’s hard to see how the bill gets passed. Trump will keep trying in order to keep Democrats from capturing the House and impeaching for a third time.

Other Outrages

Erasing our Historical Record

Following up on two 2025 Trump executive orders directing the Smithsonian Institution to remove exhibits that describe the US as “racist, sexist, oppressive or flawed,” the White House Domestic Policy office issued a scathing 162-page report on July 4 (of all dates) charging that the Institution (especially the Museum of African American History) presents “a radical view of American history,” “anti-white activism,” “illegal alien activism,” and “transgender activism.” 

The report claims that the Institution “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly,” and “uses an ideological framework” that “divides, disillusions or dispirits Americans.” Besides racial and gender inequality and immigrant enforcement the report singles out “colonial violence, Native dispossession or imperialism.” A companion measure orders the government to monitor the Institution to make sure it complies with Trump censorship requirements. Critics point out that the “report” is itself riddled with historical errors.

Gun De-regulation

The Trump administration decreed the largest rollback of gun regulation in decades, allowing more mentally-ill persons to buy and own guns, which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives asserted might expand the number of mass killings in the US. It also repealed ATF’s Biden-era “zero tolerance” policy whereby gun dealers could have their licenses revoked for failing to conduct background checks on buyers or falsifying records. The new rule applies only to dealers that ATF would have to prove intentionally meant to break the law.

The changes release many private sellers (including those at gun shows and online sellers) from having to do background checks on buyers and permits sellers to conduct checks without seeing the buyer. 

The administration also is repealing a 2023 regulation enabling a pistol to be converted into a short-barreled rifle. And, in line with Supreme Court rulings, the Department of Justice is suing several states and cities to undo a law in California banning the sale of handguns easily convertible into automatic-fire weapons. Also, bans on automatic-fire assault rifles in Virginia, DC and Denver and a Colorado ban on large-capacity magazines.

No More NATO?

Trump said he might not have attended the recent NATO summit had it not been held in Turkey, ruled by his “good friend,” Recept Erdogan, NATO’s only authoritarian leader. Trump also reiterated his position that Greenland should be a US possession, not a Danish one, unnecessarily reigniting anti-US opinions in the alliance. The US already has one base in Greenland and easily could have more if it negotiated with Denmark. He also cut off trade with Spain because it refuses to raise its defense budget to 5 percent of GDP and has criticized the US war in Iran. Trump began the summit with threats, grievances and confrontation, but finished with praise, unity and self-congratulation. 

Nonetheless, the European allies express doubt that the US would honor Article 5 of the NATO Charter and come to the aid of a European country if it was attacked by Russia. Such an act would be the undoing of the most successful peace-keeping alliance in history. The allies have resolved to eventually pay for their own defense, for which Trump will doubtless claim credit. (He has justifiably claimed credit for pressuring most of the allies to pay 5 percent of GDP.)

The allies (including Canada) have pledged $76 billion in aid to Ukraine in 2026 and at least as much in 2027, while the Trump administration is contributing $400 million, plus $30 billion approved during the Biden administration.

Trump has suddenly agreed to let Ukraine manufacture Patriot air defense missile batteries—long asked for by Ukraine to defend itself against lethal Russian missile barrages against civilian targets.

Ukraine has changed modern warfare by building a powerful drone arsenal—and using it to attack energy targets deep inside Russia. Ukraine undoubtedly could build a Patriot force in time, but it will take time. If Trump were serious about helping Ukraine and putting real pressure on Russia to at least agree to a ceasefire, he’d give Ukraine as many Patriots as it needs to knock down Russian missiles in the interim.

Two Racists

Elon Musk may be the world’s first near-trillionaire—losses from SpaceX ($300 billion) and Tesla ($174 billion) leave him with $976 billion. And he’s a certifiable genius. But he’s also a mass murderer. His first action as Trump’s head of the Department of Government Efficiency was to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), resulting in estimated deaths from starvation and disease ranging from 500,000 to 1 million in 2025 and 2026–two thirds of them children under the age of 5—located principally in sub-Saharan Africa, but also in Haiti, Yemen and Afghanistan and in refugee camps near the Myanmar border. A landmark study in the British medical journal, Lancet, estimated that deaths by 2030 would number 14 million.

Trump, insofar as he was Musk’s boss and could have overruled him, shares responsibility for those deaths. Insofar as the bulk of deaths are occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa, racism had to play a part both for Musk and Trump.