Trump To Get Rid Of GOP Leader

President Trump stopped short of endorsing Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) for another term as the chamber’s Republican leader, signaling continued differences between the two over key legislative priorities.

In an interview that aired Friday, Trump declined to say whether he supports Thune remaining in the leadership position.

“I don’t want to get into that necessarily,” Trump said.

The president said he has a good relationship with Thune but acknowledged ongoing disagreements, particularly over the Senate’s inability to advance the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

“I get along with him. It’s unfortunate that he doesn’t have the votes,” Trump said, referring to Thune’s repeated statements that there is not enough Republican support in the Senate to pass the election-related legislation.

When asked again about his relationship with the Senate leader, Trump responded, “I do,” while emphasizing that the two differ on several issues.

Trump also renewed his call to eliminate the Senate filibuster, arguing that doing so would allow Republicans to quickly advance their legislative agenda.

“I believe strongly in terminating the filibuster, and by the way, getting SAVE America Act approved immediately, and about 400 other things in every hour of every day,” he said.

Thune has consistently argued that Republicans do not have the votes needed to pass the SAVE Act and has opposed eliminating the filibuster, making the issue one of the biggest points of friction between him and the White House.

Trump warned that if Democrats regain control of the Senate, they would likely move to abolish the filibuster themselves in order to pass legislation with a simple majority.

“If they get in, they’re going to do it very quickly,” Trump said.

He argued Republicans should act first, saying that removing the filibuster would allow the GOP to enact major legislation over the next two and a half years.

“We would get things that nobody ever dreamed of. We would be in office for the next hundred years,” Trump said.

The president also warned that if Democrats eliminate the filibuster before Republicans do, it could have long-term political consequences for the GOP.

“And I tell you what, if they get it in, I will be the last Republican president,” Trump said.