President Donald Trump demanded Senate Majority Leader John Thune keep the Senate in session until Republicans pass legislation that would dramatically restrict mail-in voting and impose new voter identification requirements — a bill that doesn't have the votes to pass even within Trump's own party.
Trump's July 27 post on Truth Social escalated his public pressure campaign on Thune over the stalled SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and voter ID to vote in federal elections while scaling back mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. "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.
The Senate is scheduled to begin its summer recess Aug. 7 and won't return to Washington until Sept. 14.
Republican Opposition Complicates Path Forward
Thune, speaking to reporters after Trump's post, wouldn't rule out canceling the recess but made clear he won't do so without a realistic path to passage. "If somebody can show me how we get an outcome, how we get a result, how we get an answer to this, I'm all for it," Thune said. "But if we are going to be sitting here in endless quorum calls, I don't know if that's in anybody's best interest."
The bill faces opposition from all Senate Democrats. But it also lacks support from four Senate Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — who voted against adding the legislation to a Republican budget package in June.
Thune told reporters that Trump's legislative team found about 15 no votes among 20 Republican senators polled on ending the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act. The president has repeatedly called for abolishing the Senate's 60-vote threshold to allow Republicans to pass the bill with a simple majority in the chamber they control 53-47.
"So I mean, this is not an open question, it's just a fact. And the facts don't change," Thune said. "Now, if he can change the facts, and start moving some of those senators who are no into yeses, then we can have a different conversation."
Public Campaign Intensifies
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that Trump's "patience is running out" with Thune amid the Senate's inaction. In a Georgia speech six days before July 28, Trump urged supporters to contact Thune directly. "Everybody call John Thune at the Senate ‒ he's the leader of the Republican Party ‒ and tell him to get this stuff approved," the president said.
Despite the public pressure, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on July 27 that he has a "good relationship" with Thune. "He's just got to get his job done," the president said. Asked whether he wants Thune replaced as leader, Trump said, "I haven't even thought of it."
Thune said he last spoke to Trump about 10 days ago.
House Attempts Workaround
House Republicans approved a $95 billion budget framework six days before July 28 backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson that includes elements of the SAVE America Act. Johnson's goal is to pass the framework through a budget process called reconciliation, which would require only a simple majority in the Senate.
Yet the Senate parliamentarian could strike down an attempt to pass a voting overhaul as a budget bill. Whether a reconciliation bill with components of the SAVE America Act could reach even a 50-vote threshold in the Senate remains unclear.
Trump called on the Senate last week to adopt the budget resolution before leaving for the August recess, saying in a Truth Social post, "We are ready to work side-by-side with the Senate to get this done for the American People!"
Why This Matters:
The standoff over the SAVE America Act highlights tensions between executive pressure and legislative realities on voting access. The bill would impose new barriers to voting at a time when civil rights advocates have warned that voter ID laws and restrictions on mail-in voting disproportionately affect low-income voters, people of color, elderly citizens, and people with disabilities who rely on alternative voting methods. Trump's demand that Republicans eliminate the filibuster to pass the legislation represents a push to bypass the institutional checks that require broader consensus on fundamental changes to voting rights. With four Republicans already opposing the measure, the bill's prospects remain uncertain even if the filibuster were abolished — suggesting that concerns about voting access extend beyond partisan lines. The outcome will shape whether millions of Americans who've relied on mail-in voting retain that access in future elections.