Elon Musk has weighed in on a bill proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., which aims to ensure only American citizens can vote in federal elections. Musk labeled those who oppose the measure as “TRAITORS” and rhetorically asked what the punishment for treason is in the U.S.
Johnson unveiled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, initially pushed by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, at a press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, earlier this year. Leading up to the July Fourth recess, Johnson circulated a memo within the House GOP conference, outlining the necessity of the bill.
On Friday, Johnson continued to promote the bill on Musk’s social media platform, X. “The SAVE Act will safeguard our elections by ensuring only American citizens vote in federal elections,” Johnson said, followed by a series of posts explaining the legislation.
According to Johnson, the bill requires state election officials to verify citizenship before providing voter registration forms. It mandates individuals to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections. The bill also allows state officials to accept various documents to simplify the registration process and grants states access to a federal agency database to remove noncitizens from voter rolls and confirm citizenship for those lacking proof.
Johnson also stated that the measure directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine whether to initiate removal proceedings against noncitizens who have registered to vote in federal elections. Additionally, DHS is required to notify state chief election officials when an individual has been naturalized, enabling them to exercise their new right to vote.
In response to Johnson’s series of posts, Musk shared his opinion. “Those who oppose this are traitors. All Caps: TRAITORS,” he said. “What is the penalty for traitors again?”, told The New York Post.
The U.S. Constitution stipulates that traitors guilty of treason be sentenced to death or imprisoned for no less than five years, fined no less than $10,000, and barred from ever holding office in the U.S.
Congress is expected to return to Washington, D.C., on Monday. The timing of the vote on this bill is significant, occurring less than six months before the anticipated presidential rematch between Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.