Trump Puts Nasty Reporter In Her Place

President Trump sharply defended his push to pass the SAVE America Act during an exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, dismissing a question about whether senators should leave Washington to campaign instead of remaining in session.

While traveling to Michigan, Trump was asked why he wanted the Senate to cancel its August recess rather than allow lawmakers to return home for campaign events.

“What a stupid question!” Trump replied before explaining that he believes Congress should remain in Washington until the legislation is passed.

When the reporter repeated the question, Trump again criticized it but also noted that he had known the reporter for years and recalled that she had correctly predicted his victory during the Iowa caucuses.

Trump then returned to the issue he says should be Congress’s top priority, arguing that the SAVE America Act is too important to delay.

“The SAVE Act has to be done,” Trump said. “They shouldn’t leave town. I’m not going to stop them from doing it, but they should get the SAVE Act done. If they don’t get it done, it’s going to be a very bad thing for the party.”

The president also predicted that Democrats would unanimously oppose the legislation while acknowledging that a small number of Republicans may also vote against it.

Earlier in the day, Trump urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to keep senators in Washington until the bill reaches his desk. In a Truth Social post, Trump argued the Senate should remain in session until it passes the SAVE America Act or eliminates the legislative filibuster, which he said would allow Republicans to quickly advance key priorities, including government funding measures and debt ceiling legislation.

Supporters of the SAVE America Act argue the legislation would strengthen election integrity by requiring proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Trump has repeatedly described the measure as one of the most important election security bills before Congress and has urged Republicans to make its passage a top priority before lawmakers leave for their summer break.