Senate Republicans rallied behind John Thune on August 11, backing the majority leader despite President Trump’s public questioning of his fitness to lead after months of disputes over Trump’s election security legislation.
Many GOP senators said Thune would have their full support even if Trump backed a challenger because of Thune’s refusal to abolish the filibuster to advance Trump’s top legislative priorities, particularly the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act. “There’s a lot of respect for John Thune. There’s a lot of recognition of how he works and how difficult his job is and a belief that he’s doing it really well under difficult circumstances,” said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
Trump’s public questioning of Thune’s leadership intensified in late July. On July 30, when asked whether Thune should remain the Republican leader, Trump told reporters, “We will find out, and I will let you know,” signaling frustration as the Senate prepared to leave Washington for August recess without passing the SAVE America Act. A week later, on August 7, Trump declined to back Thune for a second term as Senate GOP leader in an interview with Punchbowl News, saying “I don’t want to get into that necessarily” but acknowledging “It’s unfortunate that he doesn’t have the votes.”
The core dispute centers on the SAVE America Act, which passed the House in February and would require Americans to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and show photo identification at the ballot box. Trump has made the bill a priority, but it has stalled in the Senate for months due to Democratic opposition and insufficient Republican support. Senate Republicans control the chamber 53-47, but the bill needs 60 votes to overcome the Democratic filibuster. That means Republicans would need at least seven Democratic votes, which have not materialized.
Thune has repeatedly told Trump that the votes simply are not there. “We voted on it one, two, three, four, five times already,” Thune told reporters on July 27, counting each number on his hand. “Show me how this ends.” The majority leader has also pushed back against Trump’s demand to eliminate the filibuster entirely, a position that a critical mass of Senate Republicans opposes.
Even Senate conservatives who have pressured Thune to keep the upper chamber in session during August recess to debate the SAVE America Act acknowledged the difficulty of his position. “It’s a hard job, it’s really a hard job,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a leading proponent of the SAVE America Act. Asked if he continues to have confidence in Thune given growing White House criticism, Scott noted that presidents often get frustrated with the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. “I’m sure if I were president of the United States, I would be frustrated if everything I wanted didn’t get done. So that’s probably pretty common,” he said.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said he does not “know of any movements to replace” Thune even though Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration. “I think the president and John like each other. I think these are tough issues and they obviously disagree over things like the filibuster,” Kennedy said. Moran emphasized that Senate Republicans would defend their right to choose their own leader. “I also think there are some things where the Senate seems willing to accede their privileges, but I think who our leader is, there’s a real sense that that belongs to us,” he said.
A growing number of Senate Republicans view Trump’s low approval ratings—especially on the economy—as a bigger political problem than strategic decisions made by Thune’s leadership team. GOP lawmakers are seeking to distance themselves from Trump ahead of the November midterm election as polls show independent voters moving away from the president and Republican voters losing enthusiasm for him. More than half the Senate GOP conference pushed back against the Justice Department’s proposal to establish a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for Trump’s MAGA allies, and GOP senators also quashed Trump’s push for $1 billion in funding for a new 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom.
Thune has tried to shrug off Trump’s criticisms in recent weeks, saying he “almost expected” the president to withhold his endorsement for him serving another term as Senate leader. “That’s probably to be expected,” Thune said with a trace of resignation. Yet he argued that Senate Republicans have done substantial work on Trump’s agenda, pointing to the recent confirmation of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche despite strong reservations from a handful of GOP senators. “I think we’ve had a really productive run,” Thune said, adding that he and other Senate Republicans feel they are getting a lot done for Trump.
Sources
- The Hill — GOP senators rallying behind Thune on August 11, with quotes from Moran, Scott, and Kennedy on their continued support despite Trump’s criticism
- ECIKS.org — Trump’s July 30 statement questioning Thune’s leadership and suggesting he might not be the right man to lead Senate Republicans
- The Hill — Trump’s August 7 interview with Punchbowl News declining to back Thune for another term as Senate GOP leader
- Politico — Senate GOP bracing for continued Trump pressure on the SAVE America Act during August recess, with details on Senate math and Thune’s strategy
- PBS NewsHour — Thune’s repeated statements that the votes are not there to pass the SAVE Act or overcome the filibuster
