President Trump escalated his pressure campaign on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) Friday, demanding the Senate adopt a House-passed budget resolution before the August recess to unlock funding for the Iran war and other priorities. The move comes despite Thune's public acknowledgment that the measure lacks the necessary 50 votes to pass.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I am asking that the Senate adopt a Budget Resolution, which can pass with a simple Majority, before leaving for the August recess. We are ready to work side-by-side with the Senate to get this done for the American People!”
The president's intervention follows a rally in Georgia where he complained that “the Senate is a place you send things when you want them to die,” reflecting a deepening rift between the White House and Senate GOP leadership.
Thune told reporters Thursday that he cannot count to 50 on the budget resolution, which includes $73 billion for the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, $12 billion for farmers, and $10 billion for election-related reforms. “As I've said before, you got to get to 50, and I can't count to 50 right now on a budget resolution,” Thune said. He added that his priority is funding the government, not necessarily advancing the House bill.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned Thursday that Trump's “patience is running out” with Thune and that “the Senate needs to do its job.” Thune shot back, suggesting the White House should help round up votes. “Maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It's 50 around here,” he said. Thune also pointed to Democrats as the real obstacle: “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. And if there are Republicans they think are gettable, get on the phone.”
Thune has indicated he plans to hold the House-passed budget framework as a potential vehicle for a government funding stopgap in September. Passing a joint budget resolution would unlock the reconciliation process, allowing Republicans to bypass a Democratic filibuster with a simple majority. But previous efforts to pass the SAVE America Act—which would require proof of citizenship to vote—have failed, and the Senate parliamentarian ruled Trump's top legislative priority ineligible for reconciliation.
Republican senators are also divided over whether to offset the $95 billion package with spending cuts, complicating the path forward. The standoff underscores the challenges Trump faces in pushing his agenda through a narrowly divided Senate, even with his own party in control.
For more on Trump's recent confrontations, see our coverage of his WHCA dinner speech and the administration's admission of political basis for canceling green grants.
