'The View' Co-hosts Slam Republican for Using Olive Garden Unlimited Pasta ID Requirements to Try to Get SAVE America Act Passed
'The View' co-hosts discussed the SAVE Act on July 24.
July 24 2026, Published 3:04 p.m. ET
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was slammed on The View after comparing the voting requirements of the SAVE America Act to ordering unlimited pasta at Olive Garden, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On the July 24 episode of the hit morning show, Joy Behar suggested the true purpose of the act was to allow fewer people to vote.
What Did Steve Scalise Say About Olive Garden?
Steve Scalise compared voter ID requirements to getting never-ending pasta at Olive Garden.
If the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act passes, voters would be required to show proof of citizenship to register.
"If you want to go buy unlimited pasta at the Olive Garden, they said you have to show your ID," Scalise told Fox News Digital earlier this month.
The restaurant does not require identification to dine regularly, but it is required when using the Never-Ending Pasta Pass, to verify that people are not allowing others to use their pass for free food.
However, the voting bill has been heavily criticized. A standard driver's license or state ID is not considered proof of citizenship in the U.S. This means that those who choose to vote would need to either pay to get a passport if they do not already have one, or present a birth certificate.
Still, there have also been arguments that this could potentially prove taxing for those who have married and taken the surnames of their partners or changed their names for other reasons, meaning that their birth certificate no longer matches their current legal name.
'Why the Olive Garden?'
Joy Behar was puzzled by the Olive Garden comparison.
After the clip of Scalise's argument ended, at least one of the co-hosts was left baffled by the argument.
"Why the Olive Garden? I mean, where is this headed?" Behar asked.
Sara Haines then pointed out, "That's a bit of a misrepresentation because The SAVE Act actually requires, as we're speaking about this, a passport ... 90 percent of U.S. citizens have some form of ID, whereas only about half of Americans have passports."
"Or pasta-ports," Behar quipped.
"That means it is reducing the voting public," Haines added. "You're making it harder when the percentages at the polls are already, I think, too low for this country and what a vote means."
"So, they really don't want us to vote, is the point," Behar replied.
'Absolutely Misleading'
'The View' co-hosts conceded there had been smaller level issues with voter fraud in the past.
Turning the subject to examples of voter fraud, Sunny Hostin pointed out there are flaws in the system that should be fixed.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill recently revealed that more than 6,000 non-citizens were mistakenly registered to vote due to a computer error. Out of that number, fewer than 400 actually cast ballots.
She further clarified that there was "no evidence at this time that any elections were swayed" because of those votes.
Hostin conceded that it is definitely "problem" that happened, but noted, "to call it widespread voter fraud is just absolutely misleading."
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
'This Is Just a Bad Policy'
Alyssa Farah Griffin said she was against passing the SAVE Act.
Alyssa Farah Griffin also pointed out that the SAVE Act could make it more difficult for conservative voters.
"I think the right to vote is sacrosanct; I think that civic engagement is something you need to show up for. I would support, however, making it free to obtain an identification card because there are Americans that it could cost them too much, and making it a federal holiday so that people can get off work and show up to vote," she explained. "It’s a bad thing when only 65 percent of our country shows up to vote."
"But here’s a fun fact: I have a feeling that if the SAVE America Act passed, which it’s not going to, it would actually disenfranchise more Republicans," she added. "Rural voters are more likely not to have a passport. Most have not traveled outside of the country. This is just bad policy."
