10
Loading video...
By Steve Mollman
News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune fired back Thursday after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump's patience was "running out" with Senate Republicans over the stalled SAVE Act.
"Maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It's 50 around here," the South Dakota Republican told reporters.
The exchange highlighted growing tensions between Senate Republican leadership and the White House as Trump ramps up pressure on lawmakers to advance the SAVE Act before the August recess. On Monday morning, Trump intensified that campaign by urging Thune not to let the Senate "leave town" until the legislation passes and renewing his call to eliminate the filibuster.
Read More on Politics
A White House official declined to elaborate, directing Newsweek instead to Leavitt's briefing remarks and comments Trump made during a speech in Georgia on Wednesday criticizing the Senate's handling of the legislation.
"The Senate, what they're doing, it's just—it's just not right," Trump said. "It's like the Senate is a place that you send things when you want them to die."
White House Says Trump's Patience Is Running Out
Leavitt's comments came during a White House briefing Thursday, where she said Trump was increasingly frustrated by the lack of movement on the legislation.
"The president spoke about this directly yesterday," she told reporters. "His patience is running out."
Leavitt said Trump wants to see as much of the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act enacted as possible before August and argued the proposal is supported by voters.
"He was just traveling on the road yesterday, spoke about this, and there was a very loud applause from the people in the audience," she said. "They want proof of citizenship in our elections, and the president feels very strongly about that."
"The House did its job, the Senate needs to do its job too," she added.
...
John Thune's Blunt Response: 'Get on the Phone'
Thune appeared irritated by the criticism and argued Democrats—not Senate Republicans—are responsible for blocking the legislation.
"Instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats," he said.
"And if there are Republicans they think are gettable, get on the phone."
His remarks underscored the increasingly difficult position he faces as Senate GOP leader, balancing demands from Trump and conservative activists against the realities of Senate vote counting.
The exchange marked a rare public clash between Thune and the White House, even as Trump allies have increased pressure on Senate Republicans over the legislation.
Trump Escalates Pressure on Senate Republicans
Trump's pressure campaign intensified Monday when he singled out Thune in a Truth Social post and demanded that the Senate remain in session until the SAVE America Act passes.
"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," Trump wrote. He argued Republicans could then pass the SAVE America Act, a budget resolution and other priorities with a simple majority. Trump also took a swipe at Senate leadership, writing that Democrats "can't believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership."
Trump has spent months urging Congress to pass the SAVE Act and recently renewed his push as lawmakers consider a broader package of election-related reforms.
Earlier this month, Trump devoted a primetime address on election security to urging Congress to pass the SAVE Act, arguing it would strengthen election integrity by requiring proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.
During his speech in Georgia on Wednesday, Trump also urged supporters to contact Thune and press senators to pass the legislation. The president additionally renewed calls to eliminate the Senate filibuster, arguing Republicans should "get everything approved right away."
Trump reiterated that position Friday at the White House, suggesting he was willing to personally lobby lawmakers if necessary.
"I'd certainly be willing," Trump said when asked what more he could do to help pass the SAVE Act. The president pointed to a House vote on the measure, saying Speaker Mike Johnson had previously asked him to contact reluctant lawmakers and that the legislation advanced after those conversations. "I called them, every one of them. After I called them, voted, and we got it passed up to the Senate," Trump said.
Trump also criticized Republicans who oppose the proposal. "Who cannot approve voter ID, who cannot approve proof of citizenship?" he said. "No Republicans should put us in a position where they don't approve something like that."
The dispute has increasingly become tied to a separate Republican effort to advance election-related provisions through the budget reconciliation process, which would allow some measures to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes typically needed to overcome a filibuster.
Hours later, Trump shifted his focus from the SAVE Act itself to the broader budget strategy Republicans hope could be used to advance parts of the legislation. In a Truth Social post, he urged the Senate to adopt a budget resolution before the August recess, arguing it could help enact "as much of THE SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible."
"I am asking that the Senate adopt a Budget Resolution, which can pass with a simple Majority, before leaving for the August recess," Trump wrote. "We are ready to work side-by-side with the Senate to get this done for the American People."
But that strategy faces obstacles of its own. Thune said Thursday he could not currently count 50 votes for a budget resolution, highlighting divisions within the GOP conference over both the package itself and the prospect of pursuing another reconciliation bill.
Trump's latest pressure campaign comes as Senate Republican leaders continue to acknowledge they do not currently have the votes needed to advance the legislation.
The Numbers Problem Facing the SAVE Act
The legislation would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections and establish voter identification requirements nationwide. While Republicans broadly support the proposal, Senate rules remain a major hurdle.
Most legislation requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, and Democrats have strongly opposed the SAVE Act. The Senate has repeatedly failed to advance the legislation despite pressure from Trump and House conservatives, meaning Republicans would likely need Democratic support or changes to Senate rules to move the bill forward.
Thune has repeatedly acknowledged the challenge.
"We'll see. We'll have those conversations with the conference,” he said. “The priority is funding the government. To me that's the thing we got to keep our eyes on."
His comments came one day after the House advanced a budget framework that includes election-related provisions but faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
Related Story
SAVE Act: How Donald Trump’s Voting Bill May Impact 2026 Midterm Elections
Why Senate Republicans Can't Pass the Bill
The SAVE Act is running into resistance from both Democrats and a small but crucial group of Republicans.
Earlier this year, Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina joined Democrats to block an effort to attach the legislation to an immigration funding package.
Murkowski has been among the most vocal GOP critics of the bill despite supporting voter identification requirements generally.
"I support voter ID—but oppose the SAVE Act," she said earlier this year.
In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published last week, Murkowski warned the proposal could create unique challenges in Alaska, where many communities are not connected to the road system, and residents often travel by plane or boat.
According to Murkowski, the bill's in-person proof-of-citizenship requirements could force some first-time voters to spend more than $1,000 simply to register to vote.
She cited the example of an 18-year-old voter in the remote community of Savoonga who could face nearly $800 in airfare and hundreds more in lodging costs to reach an election office.
Murkowski wrote that the legislation "would impose costly new barriers and prevent some, perhaps many, from voting," while creating "chaos before the November elections."
Those concerns have added to broader questions within the GOP about implementation, timing and the bill's chances of surviving Senate procedural hurdles.
What the SAVE Act Would Change
The SAVE Act would overhaul federal voter registration requirements.
Under the proposal, individuals would be required to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate or naturalization documents, when registering to vote in federal elections.
The broader Trump-backed framework also includes voter ID requirements and restrictions on certain forms of mail voting.
Supporters say the changes are necessary to strengthen election integrity and prevent noncitizens from voting. The issue has become a centerpiece of Republican messaging on election security, and this week 13 House Democrats joined Republicans in backing voter ID legislation tied to parts of the proposal.
Republicans have increasingly sought alternative ways to advance portions of the legislation, including attaching voter ID measures to other bills moving through Congress.
Critics Say Millions Could Face New Hurdles
Democrats, voting-rights advocates and some policy groups oppose the legislation, arguing it could create barriers for eligible voters.
The debate centers less on whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote—which is already illegal—and more on whether requiring documentary proof of citizenship would prevent enough unlawful voting to justify new burdens on voters.
Critics note that documented cases of noncitizen voting are rare and argue that requiring documents such as passports, birth certificates or naturalization papers could complicate registration for millions of Americans.
Research published in 2024 by the Brennan Center for Justice and several voting-rights organizations estimated that 21.3 million voting-age U.S. citizens do not have documentary proof of citizenship readily available.
Opponents have also pointed to challenges that could face married women whose current legal names differ from those on their birth certificates, as well as military families and Americans living in remote areas.
The dispute has turned the SAVE Act into one of the most contentious voting-rights debates in Congress ahead of the midterm elections.
MAGA Allies Turn Up Pressure on Thune
The White House is not alone in pressuring Senate Republicans.
Conservative activists, commentators and some House Republicans have spent months demanding Senate action on the bill. Several allies of Trump have publicly criticized Senate leadership, while some House Republicans have threatened to hold up other legislation until the measure advances. Calls for Senate action have at times escalated into criticism of Thune himself.
The pressure has extended to some Senate Republicans. During an appearance Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation, Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana argued that Republicans should move more aggressively on a House-passed budget framework that could be used to advance parts of the party's election agenda.
"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 said. He added that Senate Republicans should pursue another attempt to advance the SAVE Act instead of focusing primarily on negotiations with Democrats over government funding.
But some Senate Republicans have pushed back on that argument. Senator John Cornyn of Texas told reporters that the clash over the legislation had created a "circular firing squad for Republicans" ahead of the midterms.
"We just don't have the votes, and so there's nothing that Senator Thune can do to change that," Cornyn said, calling the idea that Thune could simply force Republican senators into line "a fantasy."
Retiring North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis also defended the majority leader. "I have 1,000 percent confidence in Thune, and anybody in the White House who thinks he's not a good leader isn't qualified for their job," the Republican told reporters.
The Bill's Uncertain Path Forward
For now, the SAVE Act remains one of Trump's highest-profile legislative priorities but lacks a clear path to passage.
The White House is expected to continue pressing senators before the August recess, while Republican leaders weigh whether there is any viable route to advancing the measure this year.
Thursday's unusually public clash between Thune and the Trump administration laid bare a growing reality facing Republicans: even with the president making the SAVE Act a centerpiece of his agenda, Senate leaders still do not appear to have the votes they need.
The disagreement now extends beyond the SAVE Act itself to the broader Republican strategy for advancing Trump's election agenda. While the White House is pushing senators to act before the August recess, Thune and other Senate Republicans continue to warn that neither the SAVE Act nor the budget-resolution approach currently has enough support to succeed.
And until that changes, Trump's pressure campaign—and frustration with Congress—is likely to continue. Monday's Truth Social post suggested the president is not only maintaining pressure on Senate Republicans but increasingly directing it at Thune himself, while again demanding that Republicans consider ending the filibuster to advance the legislation.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines