Stephen A Smith stunned as Kiley explains CA voter ID law, SAVE Act
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Rep. Kevin Kiley revealed California’s voter ID on SiriusXM’s “Straight Shooter with Stephen A” Thursday, prompting a stunned reaction from host Stephen A. Smith as the conversation turned to election integrity and federal reform.
“California has no voter ID” Kiley said. “You don’t need to submit it to register. You don’t need to submit it to vote.”
“What!? That’s why the SAVE Act was proposed right there in the state of California,” Smith said, shocked.
This exchange occurred when the House of Representatives passed the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and includes a path that must be approved in the Senate.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, photographed during a Fox News Digital interview in Washington, D.C., on March 18, 2026, is a strong supporter of the SAVE Act, a federal bill that would require strict voter ID and proof of citizenship requirements nationwide. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser; Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
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Kiley claimed that California law prevents local governments from setting their own requirements, making it “prohibited” within the state.
“The state passed a law banning voter ID,” Kiley said, adding that counties, cities and counties are not allowed to set their own standards. Smith admitted he was unaware of the policy.
House Majority Speaker Tom Emmer accused Democrats of hypocrisy for requiring photo identification for the DNC but not supporting the SAVE America Act. (Getty Images)
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“I thought every state issued an ID… little did I know,” Smith said, calling the situation surprising.
Kiley framed voter ID as the global norm and claimed that America was one of the few democracies that had not enacted proof of citizenship legislation.
“There are maybe two or three democracies in the world that don’t have this,” Kiley said. “This is kind of a standard administrative requirement in a well-functioning democracy.”
Smith acknowledged that Republicans will likely use California’s approach as a central argument in advancing federal election reforms.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is leading the effort to include the SAVES Act in any government spending deal that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing in the upper chamber. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images; Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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“This is what Republicans do [are] I will certainly lean on the Savings Bill as an excuse to push it right there, right there. I can’t believe it,” Smith said.
The conversation went beyond elections; Kiley discussed California’s high cost of living and gas prices, arguing that high costs in the Golden State were due to state policy rather than global events.
“We currently have $5.56 per gallon in California…almost $2 above the national average,” he said. “It is not possible to comply with our regulations.”
Kiley also noted broader economic pressures, pointing to housing, energy and taxation.
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“We have the highest housing prices… the highest electricity prices… the highest taxes,” he said. “So when you factor in the cost of living, we have the highest poverty in California.”
Kiley became an independent after the passage of California’s new Proposition 50 Congressional map passed in the state in November 2024, which includes most of its home base in the Sacramento suburbs.
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