{"id":768958,"date":"2026-07-17T20:50:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T20:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/768958\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T20:50:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T20:50:15","slug":"olive-garden-pasta-pass-id-rule-sparks-voter-id-debate-among-conservatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/768958\/","title":{"rendered":"Olive Garden pasta pass ID rule sparks voter ID debate among conservatives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Olive Garden&#8217;s Never-Ending Pasta Pass sparked an unlikely political firestorm after conservatives applauded the restaurant&#8217;s photo ID requirement, arguing the policy is stricter than <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456933\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/voting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">voting laws<\/a> in some Democrat-led states.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">&#8220;Olive Garden requires ID to use their never ending pasta pass but <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456934\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/democratic-party\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">most Democrat run states<\/a> don\u2019t require your ID to vote. So in America, our pasta deals are literally more secure than our elections. Maddening and hilarious at the same time,&#8221; one conservative commentator, <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456935\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/robbystarbuck\/status\/2078121850245202395\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Robby Starbuck, wrote on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Olive Garden&#8217;s Never-Ending Pasta Pass gives customers unlimited meals, but the restaurant requires passholders to present a valid photo ID matching the name printed on the pass when ordering. Conservatives swiftly shared the restaurant&#8217;s X post announcing the policy, praising it and drawing comparisons to the broader debate over voter ID requirements.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;The Never-Ending Pasta Pass is only for use by the Passholder whose name is printed on the Pass. Passes are personalized and non-transferable. Passholders must present a valid photo I.D. along with the Pass at the time of ordering,&#8221; the restaurant posted to X on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456936\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/gop-civil-war-erupts-over-trumps-latest-agenda-push-key-republicans-threaten-sink-megabill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">GOP CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER TRUMP&#8217;S LATEST AGENDA PUSH AS KEY REPUBLICANS THREATEN TO SINK MEGABILL<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-speech-july.png\" alt=\"trump-speech-july\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/> <\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Olive Garden takes their Pasta Pass security more seriously than Democrats take election security,&#8221; <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456937\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/executive\/white-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">White House spokesperson<\/a> Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. &#8220;It\u2019s sad but true.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The SAVE America Act is a commonsense police, supported by the vast majority of Americans, that will secure our elections for generations to come. The only people opposed seem to be Democrats in Congress\u2026 I wonder why?&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Fourteen states and Washington, D.C., do not require most voters to present identification when voting in person.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The SAVE Act includes President Donald Trump&#8217;s long-sought voter ID and <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456938\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/elissa-slotkin-says-save-america-act-would-make-hard-democrat-win-elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">citizenship verification<\/a> guardrails \u2014<a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456939\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/senate\/republicans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"> which Republicans say<\/a> is key to <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456940\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/elections\/voter-fraud-concerns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">ensuring elections are safe<\/a> and secure.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;We really live in a nation where Olive Garden&#8217;s Never-Ending Pasta Pass is more secure than our elections! Make it make sense. Pass the SAVE America Act,&#8221; Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456941\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AGToddRokita\/status\/2078099393798959578\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wrote on X.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;American elections should not be less secure than Olive Garden\u2019s endless pasta. Pass the SAVE America Act,&#8221; wrote Utah <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456942\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenMikeLee\/status\/2077957387546132593\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Sen. Mike Lee on X.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456943\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/watch-hawley-fumes-4-gop-senators-help-sink-trump-backed-voter-id-law\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">WATCH: HAWLEY FUMES AFTER 4 GOP SENATORS HELP SINK TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID LAW<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/voting-booth.jpg\" alt=\"Voting booths arranged in a row inside a polling station.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>Voting booths are set up inside a polling station on Election Day. (Paul Richards\/AFP)<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Only in America do you need a photo ID for bottomless pasta at Olive Garden, but not to vote,&#8221; said conservative influencer <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456944\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/theisabelb\/status\/2077961272247701542\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Isabel Brown.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;If you have to show ID to eat pasta at Olive Garden, you should have to show ID to vote,&#8221; posted the official <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456945\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RNCVoteProtect\/status\/2077914591783223542\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">RNC Election Integrity account.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Olive Garden\u2019s never-ending pasta pass is more secure than our federal elections. Make sense to anyone? Pass the SAVE America Act,&#8221; wrote <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456946\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepEliCrane\/status\/2078102229999829362\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Arizona Rep. Eli Crane<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456947\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/republican-says-trumps-top-election-priority-dead-senate-gop-fractures-ahead-midterms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP&#8217;S TOP ELECTION PRIORITY &#8216;DEAD&#8217; IN SENATE AS GOP FRACTURES AHEAD OF MIDTERMS<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/trump-olive-garden.jpg\" alt=\"olive garden, trump\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, DC. Trump is expected to speak on election security. (iStock, Saul Loeb\/Pool &#8211; Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">President <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456948\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Donald Trump<\/a> addressed the nation Thursday evening on &#8220;free and fair&#8221; elections urging Congress to pass the SAVE Act.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I ask you to pick up your phone tomorrow, call your representatives and the House and Senate, and demand that they pass the Save America Act without delay. Together, we will restore faith and confidence in our country, and we will be bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,&#8221; said Trump.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Trump has tried to attach the stalled election legislation to <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456950\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/gops-95b-defense-package-survives-critical-hurdle-amid-fiscal-hawk-revolt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">defense spending<\/a>, holding housing legislation hostage and playing Senate primary politics.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Republicans are running against the clock to pass the <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2456951\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/republican-says-trumps-top-election-priority-dead-senate-gop-fractures-ahead-midterms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">stalled elections bill<\/a> before the party\u2019s midterm window narrows.<\/p>\n<p>Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Olive Garden&#8217;s Never-Ending Pasta Pass sparked an unlikely political firestorm&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":768959,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[28,12,4322,328346,3123],"class_list":["post-768958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-donald-trump","tag-restaurants","tag-voter-fraud-concerns","tag-white-house"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=768958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/768959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=768958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=768958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=768958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}