Thune and White House trade jabs over Trump’s controversial elections legislation
White House and Senate Republicans Clash Over SAVE America Act Progress
Activelifezero.com – President Donald Trump intensified his public criticism of Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Thursday regarding the SAVE America Act, which has encountered significant delays in Congress. The White House issued a warning that the president’s “patience is running out” as Republican leadership attempts to move the contentious voting legislation forward before the congressional recess begins in August.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt communicated that Trump desires to see “as much of the SAVE America (Act) passed as possible” before senators depart Washington. Leavitt referenced comments the president delivered at a Georgia rally on Wednesday during a White House briefing on Thursday. “Look, the president spoke about this directly yesterday, his patience is running out,” Leavitt stated to reporters.
Understanding the SAVE America Act
The SAVE America Act proposes requiring proof of United States citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, for individuals to register to vote in federal elections. The legislation also contains provisions designed to remove noncitizens from federal voter registration rolls.
Opponents of the bill argue it could restrict voting access by creating unnecessary hurdles that will make it harder to register to vote and wrongfully disenfranchise legitimate voters. The legislation has become a priority for Trump, who views it as essential to election integrity.
Trump’s Direct Appeal to Thune
At the Georgia rally on Wednesday, Trump blasted the Senate as “a place that you send things when you want them to die” and urged supporters to pressure Thune directly. “Everybody call John Thune. He’s the leader of the Republican party, and tell him to get this stuff approved,” Trump said to the crowd.
Thune responded to the White House’s criticism by arguing the bill lacks the votes needed to overcome hurdles in the Senate. He suggested the administration should focus its efforts on persuading lawmakers rather than criticizing Republican leadership. “Instead of, you know, 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 on Thursday. “And if there are Republicans that they think are gettable, get on the phone. Let’s get them to yes.”
Senate Dynamics and Leadership Support
Thune has repeatedly stated the SAVE America Act does not have sufficient support to clear the Senate. The measure would require Democratic support to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. An alternative approach would see lawmakers voting to eliminate the legislative filibuster for this bill, something that could be done with 50 GOP votes, but more than half of the conference opposes doing that.
Thune told CNN’s Manu Raju he has “fairly regular” conversations with Trump, despite the grievances aired by the president, adding, “With me, it’s more on an as-needed basis.” The exchange highlighted growing tensions between the White House and Senate Republicans over the legislation, even as GOP senators defended Thune’s leadership.
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said there was no discussion within the conference about replacing the majority leader, insisting Thune continues to enjoy broad support among Senate Republicans. “That’s not something we’re talking about. I’ve heard nobody talk about that,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy expressed understanding of both Trump’s and Leavitt’s frustration with the bill’s lack of progress, but argued Thune was not responsible for its stalled status. “I’ve seen no indication that Senator Thune does not support the SAVE Act — and let me put it more categorical, John Thune supports the SAVE Act, but we have some members who do not,” Kennedy said. “And that’s why God made votes, and we voted four or five times, and it’s come up short. I’m ready to vote again and take another crack at it through reconciliation, but again, you can’t, we can’t do that unless we take it up,” he added.
