House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark on Tuesday accused President Donald Trump of hypocrisy after reports confirmed he cast a mail-in ballot in Florida’s Republican primary, even as he continues efforts to restrict mail voting for millions of Americans.
Clark, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, posted on X:
“Trump voted by mail… again. While he’s actively trying to take away your right to do so. Democrats will never let his voter suppression become law.” She linked to a Politico report detailing the president’s latest absentee ballot
According to Palm Beach County voting records cited by Politico, Trump requested a mail-in ballot in late July and returned it on August 13 for the August 18 Republican primary. The primary includes a competitive race for Florida governor featuring Trump-endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds as the frontrunner against Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former state House Speaker Paul Renner and investor James Fishback.
This marks at least the second time Trump has voted by mail in Florida this year. He previously used a mail ballot in a March special election in Palm Beach County for a state House seat. Records show he has been registered to vote in the county, home to his Mar-a-Lago residence, since 2019 and also voted by mail there in 2020.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales described the latest vote as a “non-story.” She stated: “As President Trump has said, the SAVE America Act has commonsense exceptions for Americans to use mail-in ballots for illness, disability, military, or travel — but universal mail-in voting should not be allowed because it’s highly susceptible to fraud. As everyone knows, the President is a resident of Palm Beach and participates in Florida elections, but he obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, D.C.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized mail-in voting. In a July speech on elections, he declared, “Mail-in ballots are inherently corrupt.” He has also described the practice as “mail-in cheating” and pushed for severe limits, arguing it should be restricted largely to military personnel, those who are traveling, or individuals with illness or disability.
The president has made passage of the SAVE America Act a top priority. The legislation, which passed the House earlier this year, would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and photo identification to cast a ballot. It would also require states to share voter rolls with the Department of Homeland Security for eligibility checks. Trump has pressed for additional limits that would end most no-excuse mail voting.
Clark has long opposed the measure, labeling it voter suppression. In February floor remarks, she said Republicans “aren’t worried about non-citizens voting. They’re afraid of actual American citizens voting” and called the bill “election rigging” and “voter suppression.” She argued it would create a “minefield of red tape,” particularly for married women whose names may not match birth certificates, and would force states to turn voter information over to DHS.
In a separate February appearance with the Democratic Women’s Caucus, Clark stated: “They’re afraid of women voting.” She pointed to polling showing women favoring Democrats by significant margins and accused Republicans of placing bureaucracy between women and the ballot box rather than addressing issues such as the cost of living.
Florida currently allows any eligible registered voter to request a vote-by-mail ballot under long-standing state law. Republicans hold a supermajority in the Florida Legislature but have not enacted the severe restrictions Trump has demanded, though the state has added requirements such as re-requesting ballots every two years and tighter rules on ballot delivery.
The Trump administration has also sought to advance an executive order restricting mail-in voting ahead of the midterms. That order was blocked by a federal appeals court earlier this year, and the administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow it to take effect.
Clark’s Tuesday post continues a pattern of Democratic criticism framing Trump’s personal use of mail ballots against his public campaign to curtail the method. Democrats have consistently argued that the SAVE America Act and related efforts would suppress eligible voters rather than address rare instances of noncitizen voting, which is already illegal.
As Florida voters headed to the polls Tuesday and the midterm season intensifies, Clark’s statement underscored the partisan divide over election rules, with House Democrats pledging to block what they describe as Trump’s voter-suppression agenda.