President Donald Trump has publicly questioned the leadership of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as Trump's key legislative priority, the SAVE America Act, continues to stall in the Senate. Trump stated in the Oval Office that he would "find out" if Thune is the right person to lead Senate Republicans.
Trump has reportedly been fixated on the SAVE America Act, viewing support for the bill as a loyalty test for Republicans. For months, he largely refrained from criticizing Thune over the bill's lack of progress, but that appears to have shifted. The friction arises from Thune's acknowledgment of political realities, stating that the Republican party does not have the necessary votes to pass the legislation.
"Well, that's too bad for him," Trump said when asked about Thune's inability to advance the SAVE America Act. "I mean, that's too bad for him and too bad for the Republican Party." He added, "He's got the votes. He should get it done. He should be able to get it done."
When pressed on whether Thune was the appropriate leader for the Senate GOP, Trump's support appeared to waver. "Well, we're going to find out, and I'll let you know," Trump stated.
Thune, when approached by reporters, deflected questions about Trump's comments on his leadership. "I don’t know what you say on that. That’s a decision made by my colleagues," he said. He also pushed back on Trump's assertion that the votes were available. "That must be a different form of math," Thune remarked.
Thune has consistently argued that a bloc of Senate Republicans does not support the SAVE America Act, and that Senate Democrats overwhelmingly oppose it, making passage impossible without overcoming the filibuster. Trump has advocated for nuking the filibuster to pass the bill, but Thune has stated that the votes for such a measure do not exist.
Some Republican senators have defended Thune. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital that blaming Thune for the bill's failure is incorrect. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., expressed hope for future Senate independence but credited Thune with navigating a difficult political landscape.
Despite Trump's public criticism, Thune intends to seek another term as the top Republican in the Senate. Leadership positions within the Senate GOP are determined by internal elections among Republican senators, not by the president. Thune secured the leadership role in a competitive race against Senators John Cornyn and Rick Scott.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who previously vied for the leadership position, stated that he does not plan to run again and acknowledged the challenges of the role. "John's a smart guy. He is working really hard. So I think he shouldn’t — you know, it's tough to be the leader," Scott said. "We’ve got a lot of issues we haven’t addressed, so it’s hard. I assumed it was gonna be hard."