Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith and comedian and talk-show host Bill Maher delivered a sharp rebuke of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this week, warning that Democrats’ rhetoric on voter ID is doing exactly what President Donald Trump wants.
During Wednesday’s episode of Straight Shooter on SiriusXM, Smith and Maher took aim at Schumer’s decision to label the SAVE Act “Jim Crow 2.0,” arguing the language is reckless, misleading, and politically self-defeating. The SAVE Act, formally known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would require proof of citizenship to vote.
In a post on X earlier this week, Schumer declared that the bill would disenfranchise millions of Americans and vowed that every Senate Democrat would oppose any legislation containing it. He also warned that if Republicans move forward, responsibility for a government shutdown would fall on them, calling on Speaker Mike Johnson to rein in members backing the bill.
Smith said that kind of rhetoric is exactly the wrong approach, cautioning Democrats against leaning into what he described as exaggerated and outdated comparisons. He argued that invoking Jim Crow-era language misrepresents the current political reality and risks alienating voters who do not see voter ID through a racial lens.
Smith warned that such hyperbole only strengthens Trump’s position, saying it plays directly into the president’s political strategy. He asked Maher directly whether he was right to say Democrats should abandon that approach.
Maher agreed without hesitation. He said framing opposition to voter ID primarily as a racial issue is a serious mistake, particularly given public opinion data showing overwhelming support for such measures. Maher noted that while race has played a role in many American political debates, not every issue should be reduced to racial terms.
He pointed to polling that shows broad backing for voter ID laws, including across demographic groups. A 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 83 percent of Americans support voter ID requirements, undercutting claims that such laws are widely viewed as discriminatory.
Maher also drew a comparison to rhetoric used by Joe Biden in the past, noting that Biden had used similar language when criticizing election laws in Georgia. Maher said that subsequent polling told a different story, including feedback from Black voters who reported they had no trouble voting.
According to Maher, Democrats ignore those realities at their own peril. He warned that repeating dramatic claims that do not align with voters’ lived experiences will inevitably backfire, especially when polling contradicts the narrative.
Smith echoed that concern, emphasizing that Democrats risk turning a broadly popular policy into a political liability by overstating their case. He argued that instead of persuading voters, the rhetoric reinforces Trump’s argument that Democrats are disconnected from everyday concerns.
The exchange highlighted growing frustration even among prominent liberal voices with the Democratic Party’s messaging strategy. As Smith and Maher made clear, they believe Schumer’s approach does not weaken Republicans or Trump—but instead hands them a political advantage by framing voter ID in a way many Americans simply do not accept.
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