Senate Majority Leader John Thune has pushed back against reports that his working relationship with former President Donald Trump has collapsed amid the stalled progress of the SAVE America Act in the Senate.

In an interview with Fox News Digital on August 4th, 2026, Thune described ongoing communication with Trump, stating, "I've heard from him twice this morning already. He called me over the weekend, and so there, you know, we talk, I don't bother him, I'm not calling him every day."

Last week, Trump cast doubt on Thune's leadership, saying, "We're going to find out," whether Thune was the right person to lead Senate Republicans. Despite this, Thune emphasized that the reports of a deteriorating relationship were "greatly exaggerated."

The tension between the two stems from the SAVE America Act, an election integrity package that has floundered in the Senate. Trump is eager to see the legislation passed by any means necessary, while Thune pointed to procedural roadblocks within the Senate as significant constraints. He remarked, "Most of mine are constrained by what's achievable in an institution like the Senate that has procedural roadblocks to do almost anything."

Thune also highlighted the political realities, noting, "I keep asking the question, am I the only one in this town that can count to 50? Because it seems like these questions recur and there are a lot of people out there who haven't seemed to internalize the fact that there aren't Democrats that are going to flip and vote for this."

Despite disagreements on strategy, Thune said both he and Trump "want to get to the same place" and that they have "those candid conversations," adding, "I'm not worried about that relationship."

Thune acknowledged Trump's persistent approach, stating, "I know he's going to push as hard as he can. That's his business model, is to just keep pushing, pushing, pushing to get people to go as far as they can go."

The SAVE America Act remains stalled as Senate Republicans navigate internal challenges and political opposition.

Sources