Hakeem Jeffries claims Trump is trying to ‘steal’ elections with voter ID

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries continued to push back against Republican-led efforts to mandate voter ID nationwide, accusing President Donald Trump of attempting to “steal” the upcoming midterm elections.

Jeffries made the remarks during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union with Dana Bash. During the interview, Bash noted that 71 percent of Democrats support voter ID requirements, but Jeffries dismissed this and accused Republicans of promoting voter suppression.

“We know that states are the ones who are empowered to conduct elections, and every state should be allowed to decide the best way to proceed to ensure that there’s a free and fair election. Here in New York, there are, in fact, voter identification requirements. The question is that what Republicans are trying to do is to engage in clear and blatant voter suppression. They know that if there’s a free and fair election in November, they’re going to lose,” Jeffries said.

“What Donald Trump wants to do is try to nationalize the election—translation, steal it. And we’re not going to let it happen,” he added.

Jeffries’ comments come despite widespread public support for voter ID requirements. A Pew Research Center poll conducted last August found that 95 percent of Republicans and 71 percent of Democrats favor requiring voters to show government-issued photo identification. The same poll found majority support across racial groups, with 76 percent of black voters, 77 percent of asian voters, and 82 percent of white voters all backing voter ID requirements.

The House is scheduled to vote next week on the safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot. President Trump has publicly called for passage of the legislation, calling on Republicans to also fight for no mail-in ballots except under limited circumstances.