Trump calls on John Thune to ‘be a leader’ and fight to end filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to scrap the filibuster and push forward the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and is claimed to have strong public support.

Trump urged Thune to “be a leader” and gather enough backing to change Senate rules so the bill can pass with a simple majority.

Trump hails John Thune as a 'high-quality person'

Trump called on Senate Majority Leader Thune to “be a leader” and fight to end the filibuster so the SAVE America Act can pass. 

When a reporter noted that Thune had told him Republicans “don’t have the votes” to bypass the filibuster, Trump pushed back, saying, “That’s part of being a leader. You have to get the votes!”

Asked if he had confidence in Thune, Trump praised the senator personally but reiterated his point about leadership. “I like him so much, a high-quality person. And he told me the same thing, ‘we don’t have the votes.’ Only a couple of votes short. That’s what being a leader—you have to GET the votes. You have to get the votes."

This is not the first time the president shared such a statement. Earlier this month, while speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump insisted that Thune find the votes to pass the SAVE Act.

“Well, he’s got to be a leader. If he’s a leader, he’s got to get them,” Trump told reporters. “It’s the most popular bill I’ve ever seen put before Congress, and it’s voter ID,” he continued. “You have to be a citizen to vote. It’s called citizenship.”

Trump slams Chuck Schumer while demanding public support for voter ID

Trump continued to argue that public support for voter ID makes the legislation inevitable. “And those people will not be able to withstand the onslaught because Republicans and the country wants it. You know, it's polling at 87% voter ID. Think of it.”

He then emphasized the bill’s purpose: “We took about SAVE America, and it's not safe. Act is SAVE America because it's saving America. You have to have it. You have to have it—the SAVE America Act voter ID.”

Trump also framed opposition as politically motivated. “All these things—proof of citizenship—it’s an 87% issue with all voters, including Democrats. The only ones that don’t want it are Schumer and these corrupt Democrat leaders because it will not give them the ability to cheat in an election.”

He concluded with a rhetorical question about the necessity of voter ID, asking, “Look, why wouldn’t you want voter ID? There’s not a reason in the world you wouldn’t want it except to cheat. And if they don’t cheat, their policy is so bad they’ll never win another election.”