Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is signaling that, despite intense pressure from President Donald Trump, he is prepared to let the Senate depart for its August recess without first passing the SAVE America Act.
According to RedState, Thune has been publicly downplaying Trumps demands, insisting that the legislative math simply is not there. In an interview published Thursday morning, he brushed aside the notion that he could single-handedly deliver the bill, remarking, He thinks I can wave the magic wand. I wish it were that easy.
Thune acknowledged the growing tension with the president, conceding that Trump views him as a roadblock to his agenda. He gets obviously frustrated with me because he sees me as the person thats the impediment to some of the things he wants to get done, Thune said, adding, But as I continually point out I dont make this stuff up. Math is math, arithmetic is arithmetic. And part of it, too, is the active role he played in some of these primaries.
The South Dakota Republican has made clear he would prefer to postpone a floor vote on the SAVE America Act and allow vulnerable GOP senators to return home to campaign. Thune wants to let his members get out on the campaign trail, but first must navigate the next several days under Trumps unrelenting focus on SAVE.
Reiterating his stance in comments to Politico, Thune again stressed the limits of his power. Math is math. ...He thinks I can wave the magic wand. I wish it were that easy, he told the outlet, underscoring that he cannot conjure votes that do not exist.
Thune also emphasized that his relationship with Trump is not personally hostile, even as policy friction intensifies. He said that he and Trump get along but that he gets obviously frustrated with me because he sees me as the person thats the impediment to some of the things he wants.
Despite the friction, Thune maintains that he supports the SAVE America Act in principle and wants to see it enacted. However, he has argued that Republicans should be training their fire on Democrats, rather than us shooting each other, a pointed warning against intraparty warfare that could hand political advantage to the left.
One potential path forward, Thune suggested, would be to incorporate some voter ID provisionskey to election integrity advocatesinto a budget reconciliation package. Yet he has again claimed that the votes are not there at this stage, indicating that any such effort will likely have to wait until after the recess.
As Thune was making these remarks on Wednesday, Trump was fielding questions from reporters in the Oval Office, including whether Thune should remain as majority leader. When asked by Townhalls Cameron Arcand, Do you think [Thune] is still the man for the job? Trump replied, Well, were gonna find out, and Ill let you know.
Thune, for his part, responded with a mix of resignation and dry humor when pressed about Trumps comments. He said that if the president could find somebody else to do this job, it might be a big relief, and added, It is what it is. You just roll with it.
Trump has not been subtle about his expectations, mounting a months-long pressure campaign to force Senate action on the SAVE America Act before Novembers midterm elections. As RedState previously noted, Trump again turned up the heat this week on Truth Social, declaring: John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to leave town until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep throated SAVE AMERICA ACT, the Budget, and the ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster, 1929! The Dumocrats will do it on day one, and cant believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership. Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH! President DJT.
The standoff lays bare a deeper struggle inside the GOP between a base demanding aggressive actionon election integrity, spending, and the filibusterand a Senate leadership class still pleading deference to procedure and vote counts. With the August recess scheduled to begin on August 7, conservatives will soon see whether Thunes caution prevails or whether Trumps insistence on no recess without SAVE finally forces Republican senators to choose between comfortable routine and the bolder agenda their voters were promised.
Login