Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-SD) “clear-eyed” take on the SAVE America Act was readily called out with a warning on what comes next while “protecting his worst RINO colleagues.”
Surprising no one, the swamp has dug its heels in and is once again exerting itself in an effort to block passage of voter ID legislation, holding broad bipartisan support. Aiming to come out on top, Thune appeared to embark on political theater after a Senate GOP lunch failed to move the needle.
“We don’t have the votes either to proceed, get on a talking filibuster, or sustain one if we got on it, but that’s just a function of math, and there isn’t anything I can do about that,” he told the press following an internal debate regarding the use of the talking filibuster. “I understand the president’s got a passion to see this issue addressed, as we all do.”
🚨 BREAKING: Senate Leader John Thune says he is powerless to get the SAVE America Act passed through the talking filibuster, he doesn’t have the votes
“It’s about the votes, it’s about the math! I’m the one who has to be a clear-eyed realist about what we can achieve here.”… pic.twitter.com/piewxrEq6d
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 10, 2026
As previously reported, President Donald Trump threatened to forego signing any piece of non-critical legislation until the SAVE America Act arrived on his desk. Thune maintained that the talking filibuster could become a “monthslong” ordeal that would prevent Congress from passing other bills.
Regarding the potential that coveted endorsements from the president could be impacted by votes on the SAVE American Act — which also seeks to require proof of citizenship to register to vote, put a stop to non-essential mail-in voting, ban men from women’s sports and end child genital mutilation — the South Dakota lawmaker said, “Yeah, I mean, that’s probably not a linkage that is in anybody’s best interest because voting on the SAVE America Act is something we can do but passage is not guaranteed.”
“You have to make political decisions independent of what the final disposition of that might be on the floor,” he said, having claimed his staff can’t find any “piece of legislation in history” passing by triggering the talking filibuster. Thune also went on record arguing, “What people don’t realize, I think, is that’s unlimited debate, but it’s also unlimited amendments.”
Meanwhile, The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis offered his own analysis of the situation and posted to X, “Understand what Thune is doing right now. It’s not enough for him to kill the SAVE America Act. Thune has to kill it while also protecting his worst RINO colleagues from being exposed for opposing it.”
Understand what Thune is doing right now. It’s not enough for him to kill the SAVE America Act. Thune has to kill it while also protecting his worst RINO colleagues from being
exposed for opposing it.How does Thune accomplish his? By avoiding a simple majority vote at all…
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) March 10, 2026
“How does Thune accomplish [this]?” asked Davis. “By avoiding a simple majority vote at all costs. Thune knows a public vote where Republicans get less than 50 votes–with people like Tillis and Curtis and McConnell and Murkowski voting against IT–is electoral poison. He doesn’t want it to pass but he also can’t have it die at the hands of his own puke colleagues.”
Pointing out the House-passed version of the bill is privileged and therefore only needs a simple majority to pass, Davis said to be on watch for a standalone Senate version of the SAVE America Act that would require clearing the 60-vote threshold.
“So when you watch the GOP Senate bring up a brand new SAVE America Act bill and hold a single vote on a motion that needs 60 to pass,” he added, “know that they’re doing it because they think you’re stupid.”
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.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.