Hillary Clinton argued in a recent interview that Republicans are pushing voting restrictions because they cannot win elections fairly. Speaking to Democracy Docket on Wednesday, the former presidential candidate praised the Supreme Court's decision to uphold a Mississippi law allowing a grace period for late mail-in ballots.
Clinton: GOP Fears Fair Elections
Clinton told host Marc Elias that curbing ballot access is “the only way they can win.” She accused President Donald Trump of being “obsessed with stealing voter rolls and purging voters and making up ridiculous claims about people not eligible as citizens for voting.” She described his claims of widespread election fraud as “so vanishingly non-existent, it’s laughable.”
“But that’s his game because he can’t win a fair fight, and his Republican Party, which has become a cult answering only to him, can’t win a fair fight,” Clinton added.
Supreme Court Decision and Ongoing Efforts
While the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration's attack on mail-in voting, the president and his party continue pursuing other methods to alter the election process. In early 2025, Texas Republican Representative Chip Roy introduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act.
The SAVE Act would require in-person proof of citizenship to register to vote, effectively eliminating online and mail-in registration, and impose photo ID requirements at polling places. The bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
Trump's Pressure Tactic
To force action on the SAVE Act, Trump late last month announced he would refuse to sign a bipartisan housing affordability bill until the SAVE Act became law. Clinton characterized these efforts as proof that Republicans cannot win without suppressing votes.
