ICYMI: From pasta to politics: Olive Garden dragged into voter ID fight
Republican lawmakers and pundits are seizing on an Olive Garden promotion to push for stricter voter ID laws across the country.
The talking point comes days after President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address on election security in which he warned of vulnerabilities in U.S. elections and accused China of meddling. The president, however, exaggerated the scale of vulnerabilities, according to experts, and used some intelligence that was already public.
But what does Trump's address have to do with a beloved Italian chain? Here’s what you should know about the promotion and why some Republican leaders are tying it to American elections.
Pasta pass requires photo ID
Earlier this month, Olive Garden relaunched its Never-Ending Pasta Pass for the first time in six years.
Not to be confused with its Never-Ending Pasta Bowl promotion, which is open to everyone, the pass costs $100 and was limited to the first 10,000 customers who hopped online and snagged one. Those who did are now entitled to 13 weeks of unlimited pasta at the Italian-inspired chain.
In response to questions about the promotion, Olive Garden posted to X on July 16 that the pasta pass is “personalized and non-transferable,” adding that “Passholders must present a valid photo I.D. along with the Pass at the time of ordering.”
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The ‘Olive Garden standard’ for elections
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a staunch ally of the president, quickly referenced the post: “American elections should not be less secure than Olive Garden’s endless pasta. Pass the SAVE America Act,” Lee wrote on X, nodding to Trump’s signature election legislation.
Other Republicans then amplified the messaging, arguing for stricter voter ID laws across the country.
While delivering remarks on the floor of the House on July 22, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, called for the “Olive Garden standard” in American elections.
“You can't go get an unlimited bowl of pasta at Olive Garden without showing a photo ID,” Scalise said. “Can we at least have the Olive Garden standard when we protect the democracy and the franchise that we have to keep this great democracy?”
Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tennessee, similarly described stricter voter ID laws as “common sense” during an appearance on Newsmax. “If Olive Garden can require a photo ID to buy a pasta card, requiring one to vote should be common sense,” Kustoff wrote in a Facebook post alongside a clip of the interview.
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Conservative pundits agreed.
“If Olive Garden’s all-day pasta is more secure than our elections, we got a problem,” actor and commentator Dean Cain told Newsmax’s “The Big Take.” “There’s no doubt about it.” Cain further suggested that the GOP should change the name of the SAVE America Act to the “Olive Garden Law.”
Olive Garden did not return USA TODAY's request for comment on July 23.
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Photo ID vs. Voter ID
While Olive Garden Never-Ending Pasta Pass holders may need to show a photo ID before they can begin ordering, they don’t need to show documentary proof of citizenship – a requirement of the SAVE America Act that critics say will disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.
The necessary requirements to register and vote in elections has historically been a states' rights issue. The SAVE America Act would upend that at the federal level, requiring additional proof of citizenship regardless of state, such as a birth certificate or passport, which many Americans do not have or can’t readily access.
Likewise, critics suggest that women who have married and changed their last name would be rendered ineligible if that name no longer matches what’s on their birth certificate.
Never-ending pasta is ‘not a constitutional right'
Late night hosts have roundly mocked the Olive Garden reference, calling it “very stupid” and “juvenile.”
“You don’t need your birth certificate at Olive Garden,” Seth Meyers noted. He later added that “unlimited pasta isn’t a constitutional right.”
“Voting is different than other things,” Meyers said. “It’s different. There’s different rules.”
Over on "The Daily Show," host Desi Lydic also cited Trump's primetime address that sought to rally support for the voting legislation.
“In the span of a week, (Trump) went from an urgent primetime address to watching his base obsess over a Tuscan-themed casual dining chain,” Lydic said. “It didn’t work out for him this time, but the next one might. Because at the end of the day his lies are like spaghetti –– throw it at the wall and hope it sticks.”