“I kind of have already waged a war very peacefully on Senator Cornyn,” Presler told the Washington Examiner.
“I have led the charge for the last week exposing his record, and we actually broke a story of finding an unlisted YouTube advertisement in Spanish that Senator Cornyn, back five years ago, was advocating for a pathway to legalization for illegal alien children, i.e., ‘dreamers.’”
The SAVE America Act, short for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, is a Republican-backed proposal aimed at voter registration requirements. The legislation would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and direct states to use federal databases, such as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, to verify voter eligibility.
Supporters of the bill, including Presler, argue it is necessary to prevent noncitizens from registering or voting and to bolster public confidence in elections.
“Did you know that the state board of elections found in North Carolina 34,000 dead voters on the voter rolls? So, this isn’t three voters, this isn’t 300. This isn’t even 3,000 — 34,000 dead voters on the rolls in a state that Senator Tom Tillis, out of North Carolina, won’t pass the SAVE AMERICA Act. So, this is a problem,” Presler said.
“This is something that we are finding illegal aliens, dead voters, people that have voted fraudulently, and that’s why I am persistent on trying to pass this country-saving legislation to give the American people confidence [in] their votes.”
North Carolina officials did identify roughly 34,000 deceased individuals on voter rolls through routine database checks. But they also stated that it does not indicate that those individuals voted or that fraud occurred.
“While we expected to find some cases, this is higher than we anticipated,” Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said in a news release on April 27.
“The identification of deceased individuals on the voter rolls does not necessarily indicate that illegal votes were cast in their names, but it does underscore the importance of regular updates and strong interagency coordination,” the release stated.
Critics of the bill, primarily Democrats and voting rights groups, argue that documented cases of noncitizen voting are rare and that the requirements could create barriers for eligible voters. They warn that millions of Americans do not readily have access to documents such as passports or birth certificates, and say the measure could disproportionately affect lower-income voters, minority groups, and married women whose legal names may not match documentation.
“The SAVE America Act is not about protecting our elections — it’s about disguising voter suppression techniques aimed at disenfranchising Black voters as election security,” Demetria McCain, the director of policy at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said in February.
SAVE ACT QUIETLY PUNTED TO SENATE GRAVEYARD AS SOME SUPPORTERS CONCEDE DEFEAT
The legislation has become part of a broader national debate over election security following the 2020 presidential election, with Republicans pushing for tighter safeguards and Democrats emphasizing access to the ballot.
Presler, who said in April he would begin targeting Republicans he views as obstacles to the legislation, told the Washington Examiner on April 19, “If he (Thune) does not, I will be going to Texas to help defeat Republican Sen. Cornyn and help elect Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate. If Sen. Thune doesn’t give us the SAVE America Act, I will be going to Louisiana to defeat Sen. Bill Cassidy.”
“Basically, the American people are fed up, and our message is: You give us what we elected you to do in 2024 … or we will take away your positions of power, respectfully, peacefully, but most importantly, democratically,” Presler added.
Presler has also begun encouraging small-time donors to request refunds through the GOP fundraising platform WinRed if they feel misled about support for the SAVE America Act, describing the effort as part of a broader “maximum pressure campaign” focused on withholding both financial support and votes.
“Those are the two things politicians care about,” he said.
WHAT TO EXPECT AS SENATE REPUBLICANS LAUNCH SAVE AMERICA ACT DEBATE
Presler, who has built a profile in conservative circles for grassroots organizing, including voter registration drives and mobilization campaigns in battleground states, also gained national attention for cofounding “Gays for Trump” and high-profile volunteer efforts. His past activism has drawn attention within GOP ranks, particularly for efforts credited by allies with boosting Republican voter turnout in key races, a strategy he appears to be leveraging again as the party looks to defend its congressional majorities.
Presler’s strategy extends beyond Texas. He confirmed plans to oppose Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in his primary and reiterated support for Paxton as he challenges Cornyn in the May 26 runoff. The effort, he said, is designed to weaken Thune’s political coalition by targeting what he described as the majority leader’s “most staunch allies.”
At the same time, he is also engaging in state-level organizing. During the interview with the Washington Examiner, Presler said he was in Alaska working with grassroots activists on a ballot initiative to repeal ranked choice voting, a system he argues has helped reelect Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
Presler framed his campaign as a response to frustration among conservative voters who expected legislative action following Republican electoral gains.
“I hear from voters every day: What is the point of having a Republican Senate majority if it’s unable to pass legislation?” he told the Washington Examiner.
Recent polling and electoral trends suggest Republicans face a challenging path to holding on to both chambers of Congress, with several competitive Senate and House races tilting toward Democrats.
Currently, Kalshi.com gives Democrats an 82% chance of retaking the House, while Republicans have a 51% chance of keeping control of the Senate.
Presler warned that Republican incumbents could face a wave of well-funded primary challengers if key legislation, such as the SAVE America Act, does not advance.
MIDTERM COUNTDOWN: DEMOCRATS LEAD EARLY, BUT GOP SEES A PATH THROUGH THE MAP
“The American people are going to be heavily invested in primaries,” Presler said. “If you do not act, voters are going to hold you accountable.”
For now, Presler said his campaign will continue to expand — combining grassroots organizing, donor pressure, and primary challenges — as he works to force a vote on the SAVE America Act.
