Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Voter ID Order, Even as Americans Show Overwhelming Support

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has blocked a significant part of former President Donald Trump’s executive order on election integrity — a move that goes directly against what a huge majority of Americans say they want, according to a recent Gallup poll.

The section struck down by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly required people to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. Apparently, executive orders can’t just bulldoze over Congress and the states, even if the public is cheering from the sidelines.

Gallup’s polling right before the 2024 election showed that 84% of U.S. adults like the idea of voter ID, and 83% want proof of citizenship before you get added to the voting rolls. Even when you break it down by party, there’s agreement that’s rare in today’s world: 67% of Democrats, 84% of Independents, and 98% of Republicans all say yes to voter ID. The numbers are nearly identical for proof of citizenship — so, it’s not exactly a polarizing issue for regular people.

But Judge Kollar-Kotelly, referencing the U.S. Constitution, said the power to make these changes actually belongs to Congress and the states, not the president acting alone. In her words, "No statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order." Translation: rules are rules, even if you have the loudest megaphone in the country.

Meanwhile, Congress is trying to catch up with public opinion. The House recently passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship for federal elections and purge non-citizens from voter rolls. The Senate still needs to give a thumbs up before anything lands on the president’s desk.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who sponsored the SAVE Act, called it a "critical first step" to protect election integrity. He made it clear that letting only eligible citizens vote is the foundation of the whole system — a concept that, apparently, even divided politicians can get behind (at least on paper).

Across the country, the trend is catching on: so far in 2025, five states have put voter ID laws in place, and one has required proof of citizenship for registration. There are 25 states looking at similar bills, and 40 considering voter ID laws. The paperwork alone could probably fill the Library of Congress.