President Donald Trump has turned up the heat on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), demanding he fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to clear the way for the SAVE America Act.
Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to vent his frustration, accusing MacDonough of blocking the bill—which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration and a photo ID to vote. He pointed out that she was appointed under Democratic leadership during the Obama administration and blamed former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for keeping her in the role after Republicans took control of the Senate in 2014.
"We have every right to change her, and should do so, IMMEDIATELY. As long as she's there, we will never get our desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, approved, and put into full force and effect!" Trump wrote.
The SAVE America Act has been a flashpoint within the GOP. Earlier this month, MacDonough ruled that the Act violates the Senate's Byrd Rule, meaning it can't be included in a budget reconciliation package—a process that lets legislation pass with a simple majority, bypassing the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has also voiced frustration with the Republican Party's inability to pass the Act, criticizing GOP leadership for failing to deliver on key conservative priorities like election integrity despite controlling the government.
This isn't the first time Trump has called for MacDonough's head. Last month, he urged Republican leaders to replace her after she blocked a provision allocating $1 billion for White House security upgrades. Thune dismissed that demand, warning that removing her could undermine Senate norms and make it harder to manage the chamber.
Thune has increasingly distanced himself from Trump in recent months. He criticized Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence and opposed Trump's $1.78 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, which Thune said "doesn't pass the smell test."
The standoff over MacDonough and the SAVE Act highlights a growing rift between Trump and Senate Republicans, as the party struggles to balance its conservative agenda with institutional norms.






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