Trump’s Repeated False Claims About ID Requirements at Grocery Stores

For years, former President Donald Trump has perpetuated the misconception that Americans need to show photo identification to make everyday purchases at grocery stores and gas stations. This claim, which has been fact-checked and deemed false, has become a recurring talking point in his advocacy for voter ID laws.

Since at least 2018, Trump has repeatedly stated that Americans must present photo ID when shopping for groceries, specifically mentioning bread and cereal in several instances. Most recently, during a November 2025 White House breakfast with Republican senators, Trump expanded this claim to include gas stations, stating: “You go to a grocery store, you have to give ID. You go to a gas station, you give ID. But for voting, they want no voter ID. It’s only for one reason: because they cheat.”

Fact-checkers have consistently debunked these assertions. While ID is required for age-restricted purchases like alcohol and cigarettes, standard grocery shopping does not require identification in the United States.

The false claim first gained significant attention during a July 2018 political rally in Tampa, Florida, where Trump told supporters: “If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card. You need ID.” When questioned about this statement the following day, then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders attempted to clarify by noting that ID is required for purchasing alcohol—effectively acknowledging that Trump’s broader claim was inaccurate.

Despite this clarification, Trump continued making similar assertions. In November 2018, he told The Daily Caller: “If you buy, you know, a box of cereal, if you do anything, you have a voter ID.” He repeated variations of this claim throughout his presidency and beyond, including at rallies in Louisiana (2019), Arizona (2021), and Iowa (2023).

These statements have raised questions about Trump’s familiarity with everyday shopping experiences. During a 2010 appearance on the reality TV show “The Marriage Ref,” Trump admitted he had “never even gone to a food market” with his wife Melania. More recently, in post-election interviews in 2024 and 2025, he made unusual comments about the word “groceries,” calling it an “old-fashioned word” and remarking, “Who uses the word? I started using the word—the groceries.”

The persistence of these false claims appears strategically tied to his advocacy for stricter voter ID laws, with Trump consistently connecting the two issues in his public statements. “There’s only one reason they don’t want voter ID. Because they want to cheat,” he stated during a September 2023 speech at the Concerned Women for America summit in Washington.

Voting rights advocates have long argued that strict voter ID requirements disproportionately impact minorities, elderly, and low-income voters who may face barriers to obtaining government-issued photo identification. Proponents, including Trump, contend such measures are necessary to prevent fraud, though studies have consistently found voter fraud to be exceptionally rare in U.S. elections.

Trump’s repeated mischaracterization of grocery shopping requirements suggests either a fundamental misunderstanding of everyday consumer experiences or a deliberate rhetorical strategy to normalize the concept of ID requirements in daily life, thereby strengthening his argument for similar requirements at polling places.

When approached for comment on these recurring claims, the White House has not provided substantial clarification or evidence supporting the president’s assertions about grocery stores or gas stations requiring identification for routine purchases.