President Trump decided to spend part of his Sunday doing what he does better than anyone in politics, trolling with surgical precision. This time the target was 84-year-old Senator Mitch McConnell, who has been opposing the SAVE Act and, in the process, frustrating conservatives who would like to see basic voter integrity measures become law.
The SAVE Act, which passed the House last month, would require voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. Radical idea, right? You need an ID to board a plane, cash a check, buy certain cold medicines, or enter a federal building, but somehow asking for proof of citizenship before voting in a national election is treated like an assault on democracy.
After the House passed the bill, it moved to the Senate, where things predictably got complicated. Because of Senate rules, lawmakers would need to overcome the standing filibuster to pass the measure with 51 votes instead of the usual three fifths threshold. That means 60 votes unless Republicans decide to change the rules. Several Republicans have already said they will not “nuke” the filibuster, and McConnell, along with Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, has made clear he opposes the SAVE Act itself.
Enter President Trump.
On Sunday morning, he posted a meme video clip from the 1989 comedy film Weekend at Bernie’s. In the scene, the two main characters drag Bernie’s lifeless body around, pretending he is still alive to keep up appearances. The meme Trump shared was captioned, “Mitch McConnell arriving to block the Save Act in as a last ditch attempt to save his name.”
It was classic Trump. Blunt. Not subtle. And guaranteed to get under the skin of the Washington establishment.
McConnell has faced repeated public scrutiny over his health in recent years, including multiple instances where he appeared to freeze during press conferences. Those moments have fueled concerns about his cognitive sharpness and overall fitness for leadership. Trump’s post zeroed in on that perception, tying it directly to McConnell’s refusal to back what many Republicans view as a commonsense election security bill.
Representative Tim Burchett recently went even further, openly accusing McConnell of being the primary reason the SAVE Act has stalled in the Senate. According to Burchett, leadership resistance is what is standing between the bill and the president’s desk.
The bigger issue here is not a meme, though that is what will dominate cable news for a few cycles. It is the fact that a significant portion of the Republican base wants stronger voter ID requirements and proof of citizenship standards. The House has already acted. The Senate now sits at a crossroads, caught between procedural tradition and policy priorities.
President Trump, never one to let an opportunity pass, chose to frame that crossroads with humor and a jab that no one in Washington could possibly ignore. Whether the Senate moves on the SAVE Act remains to be seen, but the pressure campaign is clearly underway.
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