Conservatives are speaking out against the Trump administration’s push to implement the long-delayed REAL ID law.
Rep. Thomas Massie didn’t hold back. “If you think REAL ID is about election integrity, you’re going to be sorely disappointed,” he wrote on X. “Someone has lied to you, or you’re engaged in wishful thinking. Please don’t shoot the messenger.”
Sarah Palin chimed in after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted a video on the deadline. “Evidently, existing ID requirements for American citizens just aren’t adequate now,” she said. “So Big Brother is forcing us through more hoops for the ‘right’ to travel within our own country.”
“Are you curious why its implementation is imperative now?? And who came up with this?” Palin added.
Passed in 2005, the REAL ID Act still hasn’t been enforced. TSA now says May 7 is the firm deadline. After that, only REAL ID-compliant identification will be accepted for air travel.
TSA official Adam Stahl defended the law, saying it “bolsters safety by making fraudulent IDs harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists.” But some on the right remain unconvinced.
Massie took issue with it directly. “REAL ID provides no benefit, yet presents a serious risk to freedom,” he said. He also noted it was “a 2005 George Bush-era Patriot Act overreach that went completely unenforced until Trump got into office.”
Ron Paul called it “one of the greatest threats to Americans' civil liberties in decades.” Kentucky state Rep. TJ Roberts echoed him: “Repeal REAL ID!!” New Hampshire’s Joe Alexander called it a “violation of the 14th Amendment.”
Patrick Eddington of the Cato Institute said, “I’m not aware of a single post-9/11 instance of a terrorist being caught with false ID credentials.” He warned that REAL ID could block people from urgent travel, like visiting a sick parent.
Still, some Republicans are telling people to comply. “Quit scrolling through social media, quit complaining, get your info together, and get down to the DMV,” said Rep. Mark Alford.
The DHS says REAL ID will help close gaps in Biden-era policies and prevent aviation threats. A memo argues it’s a key step toward stopping criminals and terrorists from exploiting the system.