California Gov. Gavin Newsom took another swipe at Republican-led attempts in Congress to implement a nationwide voter ID requirement for federal elections, comparing them to the “Jim Crow” era in an interview with Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who is black.
His remarks came following passage in the House of the SAVE Act, which would place several new voter integrity measures on the federal level.
“And of course, we’re not talking about other aspects of the SAVE Act which go well beyond ID, and it goes to…which is also part of Jim Crow, the history, and that is, when it comes to registration, you gotta find your birth certificate – if you know where yours is, I have no clue where mine is – or passports, and two-thirds of African-Americans don’t even have passports,” he said on his podcast.
Newsom may not know – or he does and refuses to acknowledge it – but it was his Democratic Party that was responsible for implementing the series of laws and rules know collectively as the “Jim Crow laws” following the Civil War, throughout Reconstruction, and into the 20th century. These laws institutionalized discrimination and upheld a system of racial inequality until they were largely overturned by civil rights legislation in the 1960s.
The term “Jim Crow” likely comes from a minstrel show character and was used to describe the system of racial segregation.
After the Reconstruction period, the Democratic Party became the dominant political force in the South. They implemented Jim Crow laws to maintain control over African Americans and suppress their rights. The 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the “separate but equal” doctrine, which legitimized Jim Crow laws. The ruling was supported by Democrats.
Several social media users blasted the Democratic governor’s hypocrisy and pandering.
Republicans have also ripped Newsom and other Democrats who are insulting blacks and other minorities by insinuating they are not capable of obtaining necessary ID to vote.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee on Thursday criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) for characterizing a GOP-backed voter identification bill as “Jim Crow 2.0,” saying the Democratic response reflects political exaggeration rather than reality.
Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has defended his description of the legislation — part of the broader Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — by arguing that stricter voter ID requirements could disproportionately affect minority voters.
Lee, a Utah Republican, dismissed that framing during an interview, calling the criticism a “paranoid fantasy.”
“It’s paranoid fantasy,” Lee, R-Utah, told Fox News Digital. “These are absurd arguments. They should be ashamed to make them.”
Lee said the voter ID proposal focuses on election integrity and said claims it would discriminate are unfounded. He argued that similar requirements are already in place in many states and widely supported by the public, including voters from both major parties.
The GOP-backed bill would require voters to present photo identification at the polls and include provisions aimed at verifying citizenship for voter registration. Supporters say the changes are needed to ensure confidence in elections, while opponents argue they could create barriers for eligible voters.
The disagreement underscores the growing partisan divide over election legislation in Congress, with Democrats emphasizing potential impacts on access and Republicans stressing security and confidence in the voting process.
Many states already require voters to produce an ID in order to cast any ballot, not just those in federal elections.