WASHINGTON — President Trump urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune Monday to keep the chamber in session until it passes the SAVE America Act or ends the 60-vote legislative filibuster.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Tensions have increased between Trump and Thune (R-SD) over the president’s desire to see his controversial voting bill passed. Thune has repeatedly insisted that Republicans do not have the votes to do so through regular order.
Thune has also said he wants to prioritize avoiding a government shutdown, which is currently in line to begin at 11:59 p.m. ET Sept. 30 and could hurt Republicans’ standing in the November midterm elections.
The president, meanwhile, is showing a lack of patience with the Senate’s lengthy legislative process.
“Whichever Party Terminates the Filibuster FIRST will be the Party that survives and thrives. If the Dumocrats win this race, however, America will rapidly become nothing more than a Third World Nation!,” Trump wrote in his second post on Monday morning.
The messages came after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters last week that Trump’s “patience is running out” with Thune.
“Maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes,” the majority leader shot back in response. “Right? It [takes] 50 around here.”
A day earlier, Trump had told supporters in Georgia that “the Senate is a place you send things when you want them to die” and urged them to call Thune to demand he pass the SAVE America Act, which would require Americans to show proof of citizenship before registering to vote and provide photo identification before casting a ballot.
Many senators support keeping the 60-vote filibuster as a tool to influence legislation while in the minority.
Thune has also said he wants to prioritize avoiding a government shutdown, which is currently set to begin at 11:59 p.m. ET Sept. 30 and could hurt Republicans’ standing in the November midterm elections.
The Senate is in its last two weeks of session before an extended recess, with lawmakers due to return to DC Sept. 14.
The president’s allies in the Senate have hinted Thune’s leadership position is in jeopardy if he fails to figure out a way to pass the elections bill, a key piece of Trump’s agenda.
“How the Senate handles the SAVE America Act—especially in light of recent news highlighting the severity of the noncitizen-vote problem—could impact not only the November midterm elections, but also the Senate GOP leadership elections that will follow shortly thereafter,” Republican Sen. Mike Lee wrote on X Friday.
“Leaders must lead. And if they don’t, they’re not leaders.”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) warned Thune Sunday not to be “too cautious.”
“Look, I mean no disrespect. I love John Thune. He’s my leader. He’s got a big brain. He’s better looking than me, but I think he’s just being too cautious,” Kennedy told CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” adding that the majority leader “wants to spend the rest of our time talking with [Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer about shutting down the government.”
Before leaving for its August recess last week, the House of Representatives passed a stopgap measure that would fund the government until Dec. 4. Some Senate Republicans want to tack the SAVE America Act onto the budget resolution.
Republicans also want to pass a Russian sanctions bill championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who died suddenly July 11 and whose funeral is this week.
Thune, meanwhile, wants to advance several of Trump’s nominations, starting with Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton for the post of Director of National Intelligence.
Republicans currently hold 52 Senate seats due to the ongoing absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) due to health problems.
Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), has vowed to do all he can to stop the SAVE America Act from becoming law, while Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) are also thought to be skeptical of the legislation.
