President Trump abruptly cancelled Wednesday’s signing of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, turning the moment into an ultimatum: pass the SAVE America Act first.
“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
The House had passed the housing bill Tuesday by a lopsided 358–32. The agreement was real. The bill expands the supply of homes, aims to lower costs, and bans large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes—giving ordinary buyers a fighting chance.
But Trump wanted something else. Earlier Wednesday he dismissed the housing measure as an “Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren centric housing bill,” writing that it is “of minor importance compared to lower interest rates, and even FISA, pales in comparison to passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.”
He still showed up. Trump attended the GOP Senate lunch at the Capitol where the signing was to happen. Walking in, a reporter asked whether election legislation mattered more than housing.
“Every election is important. We’re doing very well. They want a lot of communists to come in,” he said. “I’m saying it a little bit differently, but the people that they’re pushing are communists.”
“This country is not going to have communists,” he added—a nod to the three socialist candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani who won their primaries Tuesday.
The SAVE Act is Trump’s long-sought voter ID and citizenship-verification measure, and with the midterms approaching, he wants it now.
House Speaker Mike Johnson backed the call. At a press conference after the cancellation, he said he agreed with the decision and hopes to push a similar election-integrity proposal through reconciliation.
“I spoke to the president for 20 minutes before I went in,” Johnson said. “He has expressed his priority and preference for the Save America Act. We share that. We passed it three times in the House.”
He kept going. “Basic issues that 90% of Americans agree: 70% of Democrats think you ought to have a photo ID to vote,” Johnson said. “But we have to enforce it because you’ve got a few blue states that don’t do that.”
Democrats were furious.
“Huge bipartisan majorities in Congress passed a bill to lower housing costs. But at the 11th hour, Donald Trump is refusing to sign it into law,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote on X. “His policies have made your costs go up—and he doesn’t care.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said the bill “would lower costs for millions and open the door for families across the country to afford their first home,” and called the refusal proof of “how little he cares about everyday Americans.”
Arizona’s Sen. Mark Kelly was blunt. “Donald Trump just cancelled signing a bill that’s strongly supported by Republicans and Democrats to help Americans afford a home,” he wrote. “But again, Donald Trump doesn’t care.”
Trump wasn’t finished either. “Get the bad Republicans to approve it or, better yet, Terminate the Filibuster and approve it, AND EVERYTHING ELSE REPUBLICANS HAVE EVER DREAMED OF,” he wrote. “The Dumocrats will do it in hour one, 100%. Republicans will feel very stupid if they don’t do it first. I’ll be watching with tears in my eyes!!!”
