President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune over the stalled SAVE America Act on July 23-24, with the White House warning that Trump’s patience is “running out” as lawmakers prepare to leave Washington for August recess. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing Thursday that Trump wants to see “as much of the SAVE America Act passed as possible” before senators depart.
At a Georgia rally on Wednesday, Trump criticized the Senate as “a place that you send things when you want them to die” and directly urged supporters to pressure Thune. “Everybody call John Thune. He’s the leader of the Republican party, and tell him to get this stuff approved,” Trump said, according to CNN.
The SAVE America Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, to register to vote in federal elections. It also includes provisions for removing noncitizens from federal voter registration rolls and imposes strict voter ID requirements for federal elections.
Thune’s Push Back and the Vote Count
Thune pushed back on the White House criticism Thursday, arguing the bill lacks the votes needed to advance in the Senate. “Instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats,” Thune told reporters at the Capitol, according to CNN. “And if there are Republicans that they think are gettable, get on the phone. Let’s get them to yes.”
The bill faces a steep legislative climb: it would require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, but Democrats are uniformly opposed and the measure lacks Democratic support. An alternative would involve Senate Republicans voting to eliminate the filibuster for this bill alone—a move that would require only 50 GOP votes—but more than half of the Senate Republican conference opposes doing that, according to CNN’s reporting.
Thune has repeatedly maintained that the SAVE America Act does not have sufficient support to clear the Senate. The House passed the bill on February 11, 2026, on a near party-line vote of 218-213, but it has stalled in the Senate for months. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana defended Thune’s leadership, telling CNN that there was no discussion within the Republican conference about replacing the majority leader, and that Thune continues to enjoy broad support among Senate Republicans despite Trump’s public criticism.
Sources
- CNN — Karoline Leavitt’s statement on Trump’s patience running out, Trump’s Georgia rally remarks, Thune’s response, and vote count requirements.
- Bipartisan Policy Center — Details on the SAVE America Act’s requirements for proof of citizenship and voter ID provisions.
- Congress.gov — Official text of H.R. 22, the SAVE Act legislation.
