Topline
President Donald Trump said Monday his relationship with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is solid, despite attacking him on social media earlier in the day over the Senate’s inability to pass a voter ID law.
President Donald Trump speaks during the re-scheduled White House Correspondents Dinner in the Presidential Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria on July 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump told reporters his relationship with Thune is “fine,” but said “he just has to get his job done,” reiterating his push for the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act.
Earlier Monday, Trump urged Thune not to let the Senate break for August recess until it passes the Save America Act, issuing one of his most direct rebukes against Thune as tension over the voter ID law appear to be reaching a breaking point.
Trump said 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
In a direct shot at Thune, Trump said he “can’t believe how lucky [the Democrats] got with this Senate leadership,” adding, “Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!”
The Voter ID Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, has been stalled in the Senate, because it needs the support of some Democrats to break the 60-vote filibuster threshold, a highly unlikely feat.
Changing Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster also needs 60 votes.
What To Watch For
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has pushed for a roll call vote to cancel recess until the Save America Act is passed. The recess is set to begin around Aug. 7 and end Sept. 14.
Tangent
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that Trump’s “patience is running out” with Thune over the voter ID law, adding that “he wants to see as much of the SAVE America Act passed as possible by the August recess.”
Contra
“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 last week when asked about Leavitt’s comments, urging the White House to “get on the phone” to flip Republicans who have voted against the bill, such as Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
key background
Thune and Senate Republicans have broken with Trump several times during his first term, including over his ballroom project, his now-shuttered anti-weaponization fund, his appointment of Bill Pulte as interim director of national intelligence and his endorsement of Sen. John Cornyn’s, R-Texas, primary opponent, Ken Paxton. Thune has also refused to fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, despite Trump’s insistence over several rulings she made that Trump has viewed unfavorably. Trump recently boycotted a bipartisan housing bill, the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, in July 2026, over the Senate’s inability to pass the SAVE America Act. He did not sign the bill, but he also did not issue a formal veto, so it automatically became law anyway.
further reading
Trump Threatens Landmark Housing Law In Protest Of Congress Not Passing Voter ID Law (Forbes)
Trump Tells Thune ‘Immediately Fire The Parliamentarian’—Testing Grip On Senate Republicans (Forbes)
Trump And Elon Musk Push Voter ID Laws As Latest Attempt To Boost GOP In Midterms (Forbes)