Trump declines to back Thune for another term as Senate majority leader

Thune said late Thursday that he intends to hold a vote on the motion to proceed to the budget resolution, which at this point is likely to fail.

Published: August 7, 2026 8:18am

Updated: August 7, 2026 8:52am

President Donald Trump has declined to back GOP Sen. John Thune for another term as Senate majority leader.

In an interview with Punchbowl News published Friday, Trump, when asked whether he would back the South Dakota lawmaker getting reelected for another term as the chamber's top Republican, said he didn't "want to get into" that subject. 

Trump in the roughly 30-minute interview also criticized the filibuster, as he's done for years, and he said that he wants Thune to put the budget resolution to unlock reconciliation to a vote, even if it doesn't have the votes to pass. 

Thune said late Thursday that he intends to hold a vote on the motion to proceed to the budget resolution, which at this point is likely to fail. 

The president also wants to see who would vote against the election-security measure known as the SAVE Act, which may be put to a vote on Friday. 

“I want to see the people, both Republican and Democrat, who vote against because mostly it’s Democrats," Trump told Punchbowl.  

 

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