Democratic California Rep. John Garamendi attempted to criticize commonsense election integrity laws, but instead offered a condescending rant against women.
Garamendi took aim at the SAVE America Act, a bill that requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, arguing that women will have a “very, very difficult” time complying with the legislation. The bill, which has been a policy priority for President Donald Trump and his administration, would simply require Americans to produce a passport, a REAL ID that indicates citizenship, or a birth certificate with a photo ID. (RELATED: Anna Paulina Luna Takes Swing At John Thune As GOP Factions Battle Over MAHA-Backed Pesticide Provision)
“Under that piece of legislation, it will be very, very difficult for any woman, that in her marriage, changed her last name,” Garamendi said in a virtual town hall Monday night. “She is going to have, and this is my wife, among other women, women are going to have a very, very difficult time gathering the necessary documents to prove that their birth certificate, which is going to be different from their marriage certificate, that they align.”
“This is what the Save Act does to married women, most of whom, or just many of whom, did not keep their birth name.”
Rep. John Garamendi thinks that women are too stupid to provide proof of citizenship to vote — including his wife.
The majority of Americans want the SAVE America Act passed, but Democrats are trying to gaslight you into thinking you’re too stupid for commonsense voter ID laws. pic.twitter.com/q3TOwV7PdB
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 12, 2026
Garamendi implies that women in particular would somehow struggle to make name changes to documents, despite it being commonplace for married women. Women frequently change their names on driver’s licenses, passports, and other official forms of identification.
It’s also worth noting that women are not required to produce a birth certificate and can instead select any of the aforementioned proofs of citizenship. (RELATED: Why Isn’t The GOP Using FISA As Leverage For SAVE America Act?)
Garamendi responded to the clip, saying Republicans are only trying to disenfranchise voters.
“The RNC thinks you’re too stupid to listen to what I actually said. Instead of lowering costs or stopping war with Iran, Republicans and Trump are solely focused on making it harder for you to vote,” Garamendi said. “But that’s typical coming from them. The only thing they’re good at is lying.”
The SAVE America Act already passed the House where Garamendi serves, but has languished in the Senate awaiting a vote for over a year.