Well, folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. It seems like President Donald Trump is having a bit of a meltdown because Senate Majority Leader John Thune isn’t catering to his every whim. Bless their hearts, it’s almost like Trump thinks the Senate is his personal playground. According to people familiar with his thinking, Trump is growing tired of hearing “no” from Thune as he pushes certain controversial priorities. Yeah, because that’s exactly what the Senate is for – to rubber-stamp Trump’s agenda without question.
I swear, these people could turn a sunny day into a national emergency. Trump is apparently frustrated that Thune doesn’t follow orders, but many of Thune’s colleagues are grateful the majority leader is willing to risk his own political future with the president to ensure the party has a fighting chance at holding its majority. You can’t make this stuff up – it’s like a bad soap opera, with Trump as the dramatic lead and Thune as the voice of reason.
Thune has been forced to disarm one Trump-devised political grenade after another, and it’s been a precarious stretch for the majority leader. But if Trump is frustrated that Thune doesn’t follow orders, many of the South Dakota lawmaker’s colleagues are grateful he’s willing to risk his own political future with the president. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now we’ve got a full-blown drama unfolding on CNN.
Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis said, “The president is creating terms that will never ever be satisfied, so why are we walking into a boxed canyon? That’s what John is confronted with.” Tillis added that Thune is an extraordinary leader with the patience of Job. I think that’s code for “Thune has to deal with Trump’s antics on a daily basis.”
The rift between Trump and Thune reflects a broader divide over how the GOP should spend the crucial months ahead of midterm elections that could cost the party its congressional majority and bring the White House’s agenda to a halt. Trump has fumed for months over Thune’s refusal to jam through a sweeping federal elections overhaul bill ahead of November’s midterms. because, of course, Trump thinks the election system is rigged against him.
Thune has made clear publicly and privately that the votes are not there to pass the president’s voting bill, even as he agreed to bring it up repeatedly. Thune has declined Trump’s calls to fire the parliamentarian or kill the filibuster to jam it through. I mean, come on, Trump – you can’t just strong-arm the Senate into doing your bidding.
Sen. John Cornyn said, “It’s not good. I mean, the president depends on the majority leader to get his agenda passed. As far as I can tell, John Thune is guilty of nothing except telling the president the truth, which is there are not the votes.” Cornyn also said he couldn’t do Thune’s job, and I don’t blame him – dealing with Trump’s ego must be a full-time job.
The lesson of watching the president endorse Cornyn’s opponent has also reverberated within the conference, several members and aides told CNN. “Republicans have been deferential to the president to a point that doesn’t seem to have done any good,” Cornyn said. “We’ve learned some lessons. If you support the president, it doesn’t mean he’s going to support you.”
Thune’s defenders counter that the House and Senate are vastly different institutions, and that Thune can’t rely on the same mechanisms to show Trump how he’s working to get his agenda passed. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said, “If you’re the speaker and you have 218 [votes], you have everything. But if you’re the Senate majority leader, you’re always going to have three or four people who for various reasons on any given day need something or feel strongly about something.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s high-stakes lunch, Thune has said he hopes his colleagues make it clear to the president that the majority leader isn’t alone standing in the way of Trump’s agenda, but that he is only the messenger for the GOP conference. Trump’s irritation with Thune is also coming at a time when other senators are looking at the president’s approval ratings and creating some distance. Recent CNN polling shows roughly two-thirds of voters believe Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the US. Maybe, just maybe, Trump should take a hint and change his ways. But I won’t hold my breath. 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
