{"id":2580228,"date":"2026-03-16T08:56:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T12:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-becomes-magas-midterm-election-fall-guy-over-save-america-act\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T08:57:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T12:57:15","slug":"thune-becomes-magas-midterm-election-fall-guy-over-save-america-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-becomes-magas-midterm-election-fall-guy-over-save-america-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Thune becomes MAGA&#8217;s midterm election &#8216;fall guy&#8217; over SAVE America Act"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthune-becomes-magas-midterm-election-fall-guy-over-save-america-act%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2580228&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses President Donald trump\u2019s aggressive effort to push Senate Republicans, lead by Senate Majority Leader John thune, to pass the SAVE America Act, a voter-ID measure that would become <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >national election policy<\/a>. Trump argues the issue is urgent for his base and warns that lawmakers must act or risk political fallout in the midterms; he has even suggested he won\u2019t sign other bills until the Senate sends this legislation to his desk. The house has already passed the act with broad GOP support, but Thune has faced criticism from conservatives for not weakening the 60-vote filibuster to enact it.<\/p>\n<p>Thune maintains that the math doesn\u2019t add up to pass the bill and plans to bring the measure to the floor for debate, possibly using a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-rebels-accuse-thune-of-gaslighting-conservatives\/\" title=\"GOP rebels accuse ... of &#039;gaslighting&#039; ...\">mock \u201ctalking filibuster<\/a>.\u201d He stresses that internal differences within the party are natural and that party unity is still the goal, despite ongoing pressure from Trump and some conservatives. Democrats largely oppose the bill as a form of voter suppression, particularly objecting to a citizenship provision, while some centrists support voter ID but reject partisan changes.The piece portrays this clash as a meaningful test of leadership and a mobilizing issue for the 2026 cycle,against a backdrop of broader concerns about the economy and Republican strategy.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Thune becomes MAGA&rsquo;s midterm &lsquo;fall guy&rsquo; with voting bill crusade<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2531921\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> is waging a relentless campaign to require national <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/voter-id\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"162\">voter ID<\/a> that has the MAGA base primed to blame Senate Majority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) if Republicans lose the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\">midterm elections<\/a> in November.<\/p>\n<p>Thune has taken <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4465730\/maga-backlash-thune-save-act-filibuster\/\">weeks of slings and arrows<\/a> from the Right over his reluctance to weaken the Senate filibuster, a 60-vote threshold that is keeping the SAVE America Act from becoming law. It began as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chris-harrison-ive-been-working-with-a-race-educator-since-leaving-the-bachelor\/\" title=\"Chris Harrison: I\u2019ve Been Working With A \u2018Race Educator\u2019 Since Leaving \u2018The Bachelor\u2019\">social media outrage<\/a>, then gained traction with pundits claiming Republicans were headed toward an electoral wipeout if the Senate did not act.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4491686\/government-power-surveil-foreign-threats-risk-save-america-act-fight\/\">Government&#8217;s power to surveil foreign threats at risk over SAVE Act fight<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4490544\/james-talarico-seminary-social-justice\/\">James Talarico trained at seminary that teaches social justice activism<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4478060\/trump-tariffs-threaten-gop-2026-election-chances\/\">Trump tariffs threaten GOP 2026 election chances<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Trump sowed the seeds for that narrative last fall, when he urged Senate Republicans to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/filibuster\/\">end the filibuster<\/a> to pass new election laws. But he&rsquo;s more recently mounted a full-court press, refusing to take no for an answer after Thune told him the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4487049\/thune-save-america-act-vote-next-week-talking-filibuster\/\">GOP votes aren&rsquo;t there<\/a> for that outcome.<\/p>\n<p>The president <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4471164\/read-in-full-president-donald-trumps-state-of-the-union-speech\/\">nudged Thune<\/a> at his State of the Union address in February as he repeated his unsubstantiated claims of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/voter-fraud\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1582\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-ag-barr-authorizes-federal-prosecutors-to-pursue-substantial-allegations-of-voting-irregularities-before-2020-election-is-certified\/\" title=\"BREAKING: AG Barr Authorizes Federal Prosecutors to Pursue &quot;Substantial Allegations&quot; of Voting Irregularities Before 2020 Election is Certified\">mass voter fraud<\/a><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We have to stop it, John,&rdquo; Trump said from the lectern of the House floor.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last week, his lobbying has gotten even more intense, with Trump announcing he won&rsquo;t <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4484695\/trump-wont-sign-other-bills-save-america-act\/\">sign any bill<\/a>, except for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-homeland-security\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3083\">Department of Homeland Security<\/a> funding, into law until the Senate sends the legislation to his desk. The SAVE America Act <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4455007\/house-passes-voter-id-bill-one-democrat-supporting\/\">passed the House<\/a> in February with unanimous Republican support.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to push them to get it done, because I don&rsquo;t think you can politically exist if you&rsquo;re not going to do voter ID and these things. I don&rsquo;t think the people in this country will stand for it,&rdquo; Trump told House Republicans last Monday, calling it his &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4486039\/trump-save-america-act-no-1-house-gop-priority\/\">No. 1 priority<\/a>&rdquo; at an annual policy conference in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>For now, the impasse is generating days of unwanted attention for Thune as Trump needles him to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4488371\/trump-calls-john-thune-get-votes-save-america-act\/\">be a &ldquo;leader&rdquo;<\/a> and eggs on House conservatives who are <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4488487\/house-republicans-split-save-america-act-pressure\/\">vowing to vote &ldquo;no&rdquo; on all Senate bills<\/a> in solidarity with Trump.<\/p>\n<p>But Trump is also drawing a connection to the midterm elections, creating the distinct possibility that if Republicans lose this fall, the president and his base will lay the outcome at Thune&rsquo;s feet.<\/p>\n<p>In his Monday speech, Trump warned of &ldquo;big trouble&rdquo; if the bill dies in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"8765\">Senate<\/a> and made that case directly to Senate Republicans in November, when he resumed his yearslong crusade against the filibuster.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, he <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3872364\/trump-calls-to-end-filibuster-reach-fever-pitch\/\">argued<\/a> the midterm elections would be &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115491634358714159\">rightfully brutal<\/a>&rdquo; and that Democrats were &ldquo;far more likely&rdquo; to win without the legislation.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s comments come as Democrats become increasingly bullish about their prospects this fall, with control of the House and possibly the Senate in reach. The president is fighting against historical headwinds for the party in power and, like President Joe Biden before him, is navigating voter anxiety about the cost of living in America.<\/p>\n<p>Thune says those twin factors will determine control of Congress, telling the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that off-year elections are always a &ldquo;little dicey&rdquo; for a president in his second term.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think the midterms are gonna be about the economy, and that&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re focused on that,&rdquo; Thune said.<\/p>\n<p>But Trump&rsquo;s allies are making the case that Republicans need a reason to turn out, and that election reform is what will animate the base.<\/p>\n<p>To critics, the near-singular focus on the SAVE America Act is meant to deflect blame away from Trump&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/approval\/donald-trump\/approval-rating\">underwater<\/a> approval ratings and political operation. The president was previously faulted for the candidates he endorsed in races Republicans lost in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Madrid, an anti-Trump Republican operative, said the president was setting Thune up to be the &ldquo;fall guy&rdquo; for a midterm loss.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I mean, everybody&rsquo;s got a turn in the dunk tank,&rdquo; Madrid said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably Thune&rsquo;s turn. At some point, your number is picked, and this just might be his number.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Madrid argued it would instead be the &ldquo;self-inflicted wounds&rdquo; of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Trump<\/a> that cost Republicans their majorities, naming tariffs, the war in Iran, and the aggressive tactics of federal immigration agents.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s never going to take responsibility for creating this mess,&rdquo; Madrid added, &ldquo;and that&rsquo;s the great irony &ndash; this is all a complete self-own, and everybody knows it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Thune is <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"240\">not the only Republican<\/a> who has come under criticism over the SAVE America Act. A few GOP senators who oppose the legislation or view its passage as undermining the 60-vote filibuster have been on the receiving end of phone, letter, and email campaigns organized by outside activists.<\/p>\n<p>But conservatives perceive the lack of action as Thune&rsquo;s unwillingness, despite supporting the bill, to whip votes for a priority the base cares about.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Thune, for his part, says he is simply delivering the &ldquo;not so good news that the math doesn&rsquo;t add up.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For better or worse, I&rsquo;m the one who has to be the clear-eyed realist about what we can achieve here,&rdquo; Thune said Tuesday on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n<p>For a while, Trump backed off his pleas to Senate Republicans, who <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3878248\/where-every-senate-republican-stands-trump-end-filibuster\/\">generally like the filibuster<\/a> and want it intact to block Democratic priorities down the road.<\/p>\n<p>But Trump regained interest as conservatives asked Thune to dust off an old-school version of the filibuster that forces Democrats to hold the floor and speak if they want to prevent a bill from passing at a simple 50 votes. As of now, Republicans control 53 seats in the Senate, to Democrats&rsquo; 47.<\/p>\n<p>Thune has agreed to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4489775\/thune-plans-mock-talking-filibuster-save-america-act\/\">replicate aspects of that &ldquo;talking filibuster&rdquo;<\/a> and will bring the SAVE America Act to the floor as soon as Tuesday for what could be a week or more of debate. Still, the process is basically a messaging exercise, and it&rsquo;s expected to be blocked by Democrats on a final vote.<\/p>\n<p>There is popular support for voter ID, and centrists like Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-fetterman\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1175\">John Fetterman<\/a> (D-PA) back the requirement. But Democrats are almost universally opposed to a separate proof of citizenship provision in the bill, and have generally panned the legislation as an attempt at voter suppression.<\/p>\n<p>The clash with Thune defies months of cooperation that helped Trump usher his Cabinet and signature tax cuts through Congress. The Senate most <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4491685\/trump-signs-executive-order-housing-crisis\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4491685\/trump-signs-executive-order-housing-crisis\/\">recently passed a housing bill <\/a>to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/major-automakers-come-clean-admit-americans-arent-buying-electric-vehicles\/\" title=\"Major automakers confess: ...ns not interested in electric vehicles.\">address affordability concerns<\/a>, though Trump has signaled he could veto it over the SAVE America Act.<\/p>\n<p>Thune acknowledged that &ldquo;some days are better than others&rdquo; regarding his relationship with Trump, something he <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3458968\/how-thune-trump-got-behind-one-big-beautiful-bill\/\">painstakingly worked to rebuild<\/a> after the president won the Republican nomination in 2024.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4489775\/thune-plans-mock-talking-filibuster-save-america-act\/\"><strong>THUNE PLANS MOCK &lsquo;TALKING FILIBUSTER&rsquo; TO CALM SAVE AMERICA ACT UPROAR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>But he downplayed the idea of a wider rift, telling reporters Thursday that &ldquo;differences of opinion&rdquo; are natural within a party.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You realize that in the end, you&rsquo;re family and this is a team and we need the team to succeed,&rdquo; Thune said. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t always get 100% of what you want, but that&rsquo;s part of the deal. It&rsquo;s the nature of the beast, as my dad used to say.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thune named MAGA&#8217;s midterm fall guy over voter ID<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2580229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25181678457592.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[75875,5656,7408,75510,23610],"class_list":["post-2580228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-fallguy","tag-maga","tag-midterms","tag-saveamericaact","tag-thune"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25181678457592.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2580228"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2580232,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580228\/revisions\/2580232"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2580229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2580228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2580228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2580228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}