Dismissal of a proposed plan to pass the president’s SAVE America Act came with a swipe against concerned citizens from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).
On Sunday, President Donald Trump made clear that his biggest legislative priority at the moment remains the passage of the bill chiefly crafted to establish voter ID and proof of citizenship requirements to vote. Monday, Thune reportedly deflated any hope to see the swamp swayed to action as he bluntly said, “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
The statement was offered to ABC News when asked about the possibility of the Senate lowering the 60-vote threshold needed for passage of the bill and restoring the talking filibuster, a move that would force the Democrats to show up and hold their ground to stall a vote.
“The president clearly is very interested in getting the SAVE America bill up and voted on, although he wants a modified version of it, and so we’ll do our best to do that. But the one thing I’ve said all along is, and I’ve told him and others, that I can’t guarantee an outcome,” said Thune. “I can’t guarantee a result. If the result is only achieved by nuking the legislative filibuster, we don’t have the votes to do that, and so that’s not a — that’s just not a realistic option.”
As had been reported Saturday, along with Thune, Republican Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas, John Curtis of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had all been named in opposition or as skeptical of the talking filibuster.
“Our time in the Senate is a finite resource, and it’s something that we need to use wisely and well to get as much done as we can,” said Thune, who reportedly argued support remained lacking for a rule change and the talking filibuster could become a “monthslong” ordeal.
Where it concerned the president, the leader expressed, “I know he is passionate about the SAVE America Act and his statement was an expression of that, but I hope at the end of the day that if we can move things across the floor here and actually put legislation on his desk, that he will find a way to sign it.”
Over the weekend, Trump reacted to an appearance by get-out-the-vote activist Scott Presler on Fox News promoting the legislation and the filibuster, “Great Job by hard working Scott Pressler on Fox & Friends talking about using the Filibuster, or Talking Filibuster, in order to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, an 88% issue with ALL VOTERS.”
“It must be done immediately,” added the chief executive on the importance of the bill that would also end unnecessary mail-in ballots, ban men from women’s sports and codify protecting children from genital mutilation. “It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed, AND NOT THE WATERED DOWN VERSION — GO FOR THE GOLD …”
Meanwhile, Thune was also quoted as downplaying support for using Senate rules to the GOP’s advantage as NBC News congressional reporter Brennan Leach quoted him saying, “A lot of that is, it’s in the kind of, you know, paid influencer ecosystem.”
The leader also attempted to hold the viewpoint high ground as he floated the idea that Senate Republicans support the bill, but “the process and how you ultimately try and get a result is still unclear to me.”
In response, Presler slammed Thune’s suggestion, sharing his interview that earned praise from the president, and said, “Paid influencer system? I don’t receive a dime to do this work. It was after this interview with Fox News that President Trump put out a statement in support of my work & for the SAVE America Act.”
“Telling millions of Americans that they are a ‘paid influencer ecosystem’ — when he needs our votes to keep his majority in the Senate — probably isn’t the best strategy.”
Paid influencer system?
I don’t receive a dime to do this work.
It was after this interview with Fox News that President Trump put out a statement in support of my work
& for the SAVE America Act.
Telling millions of Americans that they are a “paid influencer ecosystem” —… pic.twitter.com/3IuwytSJkQ
— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) March 9, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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