Best Podcast Episodes About John Thune
Everything podcasters are saying about John Thune — curated from top podcasts
Updated: Apr 08, 2026 – 44 episodes
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Ridealong has curated the best and most interesting podcasts and clips about John Thune.
Top Podcast Clips About John Thune
“… us. They're sabotaging us. What good are the Republicans? There is a great article from Miranda Devine in the New York Post. Senator Majority Leader John Thune hightailed it out of D.C. on Friday morning, hours after caving to Democrat demands to defund ICE and border enforcement, at least for the time being. There's nothing more infuriating to a frustrated air traveler delayed hours by Democrat shutdowns than to see senators strolling smugly with VIP escorts through the airport. The worst offender last week was John Thune who hightailed it out of D Friday morning hours after stitching up a deal …”
“he he left in the middle of the night they knew it would not pass in the house they knew I swear to you, these guys are sabotaging us. They're sabotaging us. What good are the Republicans? There is a great article from Miranda Devine in the New York Post. Senator Majority Leader John Thune hightailed it out of D.C. on Friday morning, hours after caving to Democrat demands to defund ICE and border enforcement, at least for the time being. There's nothing more infuriating to a frustrated air traveler delayed hours by Democrat shutdowns than to see senators strolling smugly with VIP escorts through the airport. The worst offender last week was John Thune who hightailed it out of D Friday morning hours after stitching up a deal caving to Democrat demands Elements of the Department of Homeland Security were funded in the big beautiful bill last year But Thune's deal freezes out immigration enforcement and border security functions that are all too important as we go into war with the world's largest sponsor of Islamic terrorism. Wait a minute. His deal freezes out immigration …”
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Senator John Thune's hasty exit from Washington after conceding to Democrat demands has sparked outrage. Critics argue that this behavior exemplifies a larger issue of government inaction, where lawmakers prioritize vacations over crucial legislative duties—especially on immigration enforcement. The President is now being urged to call Congress back to work, highlighting the frustration of citizens witnessing this lack of accountability.
“Here was me on November 7th, 2024. I tried. There are three people running for it. Cornyn, Thune, Scott. Of those three, no matter what you think of Rick Scott, Cornyn and Thune are an unmitigated disaster in every way. If John Cornyn or John Thune take over the Senate majority leader position, then congratulations, Mitch McConnell didn't retire. He just got younger. It's a continuation of everything that has frustrated you, everything that has kneecapped our movement. The Mitch McConnells who get up after the Uvalde school shooting and …”
“Here was me on November 7th, 2024. I tried. There are three people running for it. Cornyn, Thune, Scott. Of those three, no matter what you think of Rick Scott, Cornyn and Thune are an unmitigated disaster in every way. If John Cornyn or John Thune take over the Senate majority leader position, then congratulations, Mitch McConnell didn't retire. He just got younger. It's a continuation of everything that has frustrated you, everything that has kneecapped our movement. The Mitch McConnells who get up after the Uvalde school shooting and talk about how we need gun control. Wow, we really need to work with our friends across the aisle. You think those days are done? If it's John Thune or John Cornyn, John Cornyn's the one he got to help him do it. John Cornyn's the one who worked with Democrats to pass gun control in the wake of a mass shooting. If it's Cornyn or Thune, it's a …”
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Ridealong summary
If John Cornyn or John Thune become Senate majority leader, it's a continuation of the frustrating status quo, akin to Mitch McConnell's leadership. Their past actions, like supporting gun control after tragedies, signal a troubling future for conservative values. In contrast, Rick Scott, despite his flaws, offers a glimmer of hope for a different direction.
“And that means Thune has to do something. And when he does what we're asking, I think he deserves the credit for doing that. It doesn't mean we don't keep an eye on it, but that's what's happening. So right now they're just basically filling time and they're giving some speeches and people are flying into D.C. And both sides, Republicans and Democrats, are behind the scenes counting how many senators are in so they know how many people are present to vote. And …”
“And that means Thune has to do something. And when he does what we're asking, I think he deserves the credit for doing that. It doesn't mean we don't keep an eye on it, but that's what's happening. So right now they're just basically filling time and they're giving some speeches and people are flying into D.C. And both sides, Republicans and Democrats, are behind the scenes counting how many senators are in so they know how many people are present to vote. And that's part of what's going on. At some point, it should be later today. It could be tomorrow, but it should be today. Senator Thune is going to proceed to begin. on the language that he, how I had that up, he's going to use is that he's going to say that there is a motion to lay before the Senate a message from the House. That's when we know he's …”
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Senator Thune's upcoming motions could determine the fate of the Save America Act, with both parties counting votes behind the scenes. The process involves multiple layers of motions, akin to a cartoon character falling onto sheets, each designed to protect the main legislative goal. The outcome hinges on whether they can effectively legislate or if the bill gets tabled and disappears.
“… can't show ID. They just got here from the freaking Congo. They don't have any ID. So, obviously the SAVE Act is going to pass, right? Well, no. John Thune, Senate Majority Leader, came out yesterday and he said as much. And so that debate will happen. But, like I said, I can guarantee the debate. I can guarantee a vote. I just can't guarantee an outcome. We don't have the votes either to proceed, get on a talking filibuster nor to sustain one if we got on it. But that's just a function of math. And there isn't anything I can do about that. I mean, I understand the President's got a passion to see …”
“… anymore you're not registered here you're not on the rolls a little too on the nose isn't it kind of gives the game away i mean you just came right out and Senate. You're going to kick our voters off the voter rolls if you have to show ID. Our people can't show ID. They just got here from the freaking Congo. They don't have any ID. So, obviously the SAVE Act is going to pass, right? Well, no. John Thune, Senate Majority Leader, came out yesterday and he said as much. And so that debate will happen. But, like I said, I can guarantee the debate. I can guarantee a vote. I just can't guarantee an outcome. We don't have the votes either to proceed, get on a talking filibuster nor to sustain one if we got on it. But that's just a function of math. And there isn't anything I can do about that. I mean, I understand the President's got a passion to see this issue addressed, as we all do. Does he understand that, though? Well, we've conveyed that to him, but we'll continue to make that argument because I think it's important that everybody understand that this really is about it's about the votes, it's about the math. And for better or worse, I'm the one who has to be the clear-eyed realist about …”
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Ridealong summary
The SAVE Act is overwhelmingly supported by the American public, including independents, and Democrats are at risk of losing elections if they oppose it.
“… like now he has really recommitted to this idea that like, no, this has to go through the Senate. I'm going to re-establish my full court press on John Thune and the Republicans over there and really get them to try as hard as I can to get them to throw out this filibuster and pass this thing.”
“… of a weird new swerve where like instead of that being the strategy now apparently he has, I don't know what, who told him what that has changed his mind on this. Maybe he was just watching Scott Pressler on Fox and Friends, who knows. But it seems like now he has really recommitted to this idea that like, no, this has to go through the Senate. I'm going to re-establish my full court press on John Thune and the Republicans over there and really get them to try as hard as I can to get them to throw out this filibuster and pass this thing.”
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Trump has pivoted back to pushing for the SAVE America Act, the most stringent national voter ID bill, after previously indicating he might resort to executive orders. This bill requires proof of citizenship for voter registration, which critics argue could disenfranchise legal voters. The shift comes as he pressures Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to pass this controversial legislation.
“what do you think ought to happen with John Thune? Has John Thune delivered for President Trump's agenda? He's the leader of the Senate. What should happen with John Thune? He hasn't delivered anything. No ICE funding, no customs and borders, so we don't have the secure border. I probably got to send the National Guard down there or the great Border Patrol works without pay. and supposedly, theoretically, they've got pay from the original big, beautiful bill, but there's a big argument, can …”
“what do you think ought to happen with John Thune? Has John Thune delivered for President Trump's agenda? He's the leader of the Senate. What should happen with John Thune? He hasn't delivered anything. No ICE funding, no customs and borders, so we don't have the secure border. I probably got to send the National Guard down there or the great Border Patrol works without pay. and supposedly, theoretically, they've got pay from the original big, beautiful bill, but there's a big argument, can you actually use that cash? But he walked away from President Trump's number one priority, which is the Save America Act. So, on a show of hands, how many believe John Thune should be removed as the leader? We've got to, when they get back, we're going to get all over the Senate about doing this. Neil, stick around at the White House. We're going to …”
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John Thune, the Senate leader, is under fire for not delivering on key elements of President Trump's agenda, particularly the Save America Act. Critics argue that without proper funding for border security, the National Guard may be deployed, showing a significant leadership failure. Meanwhile, escalating tensions with Iran suggest that military action might be the only option left, as negotiations have proven ineffective.
“… of that. It's people that have been at the forefront of this fight for decades. So do you have any sense of with either Mark Wayne Mullins or what Thune? Because Thune is weak. He's just weak. You see this. There's no the only time he has any urgency, Neil, is when the president of the United States gets on the phone with him and said, look, man, you're supposed to be a leader. Where are the votes? and then it's a little bit of energy, but it's all performative just to get President Trump off his back. You know why? Because like Tommy Tuberville told us, and you said the other day, they don't …”
“… 100,000 years. We have to do it now, now, now. This is why I'm so supportive of what Mike Allen, the team, has pulled together on the mass deportation coalition. If you look at the who's who, that's, you know, the Rosemary Jenks, everybody's in back of that. It's people that have been at the forefront of this fight for decades. So do you have any sense of with either Mark Wayne Mullins or what Thune? Because Thune is weak. He's just weak. You see this. There's no the only time he has any urgency, Neil, is when the president of the United States gets on the phone with him and said, look, man, you're supposed to be a leader. Where are the votes? and then it's a little bit of energy, but it's all performative just to get President Trump off his back. You know why? Because like Tommy Tuberville told us, and you said the other day, they don't actually want this. They don't really want the SAVE Act. They don't think Trump, the election was stolen in 2020, or if it was, they just want to, you know, let's move on. It's too hard to go, you know, go back and do. This is the Kemp, Thune, McConnell, Republican controlled opposition that got us in the mess we're in by just letting the radical …”
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Thune's lack of urgency in addressing immigration reform has drawn sharp criticism, with claims that he only acts when pressured by Trump. This weak leadership is seen as a failure to stand up against Democrats, risking vital reforms like mass deportations. The ongoing struggle reveals a deeper conflict within Republican ranks over how to tackle immigration policy effectively.
“The president also indicated that his endorsement in the Texas Republican Senate primary runoff between Senator John Cornyn and Ken Paxton will hinge on the legislation Trump has pushed Senate Majority Leader John Thune to invoke the talking filibuster which would force Democrats to speak continuously on the Senate floor to delay the bill in an effort to overcome Democratic opposition Theoretically, once Democrats cede the floor, Republicans could pass the measure with 51 votes. However, Thune has said that he would not use such a procedure, which he …”
“The president also indicated that his endorsement in the Texas Republican Senate primary runoff between Senator John Cornyn and Ken Paxton will hinge on the legislation Trump has pushed Senate Majority Leader John Thune to invoke the talking filibuster which would force Democrats to speak continuously on the Senate floor to delay the bill in an effort to overcome Democratic opposition Theoretically, once Democrats cede the floor, Republicans could pass the measure with 51 votes. However, Thune has said that he would not use such a procedure, which he previously said is much more complicated and risky than people are assuming at the moment. So. The Senate takes us up today and that's already happening as I'm as I'm talking at this point, Thune says that he will not abolish the filibuster or implement the talking filibuster. And in fact, he said the measure is is unlikely to pass, but it will be good to …”
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Republicans have the power to pass the SAVE Act, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune is hesitant to use the talking filibuster, claiming it's too risky. This hesitation could lead to symbolic gestures rather than real action, leaving the party with no excuse if they fail to act. The American people support voter ID laws, and the average citizen won't care about the filibuster tactics—it's time for decisive action.
“… base and pressure Republican senators to vote in favor of the measure In order to get his wish list Trump has called for Senate Majority Leader John Thune a Republican of South Dakota to get rid of the filibuster enabling Senate Republicans to push through whatever they want without any Democratic votes, as the Republican majority in the House can do. Yesterday, Trump posted, When is enough enough for our Republican senators? There comes a time when you must do what should have been done a long time ago, and something which the lunatic Democrats will do on day one if they ever get the chance. …”
“… as 14 percent. The Brennan Center estimates that the Save America Act would kick at least 21 million Americans off voting lists. To that legislation, Trump has also added provisions targeting transgender Americans apparently to appeal to his faltering base and pressure Republican senators to vote in favor of the measure In order to get his wish list Trump has called for Senate Majority Leader John Thune a Republican of South Dakota to get rid of the filibuster enabling Senate Republicans to push through whatever they want without any Democratic votes, as the Republican majority in the House can do. Yesterday, Trump posted, When is enough enough for our Republican senators? There comes a time when you must do what should have been done a long time ago, and something which the lunatic Democrats will do on day one if they ever get the chance. Terminate the filibuster and get our airports and everything else moving again. Also, add the complete all five items Save America Act items. Go for the gold. President DJT. Meanwhile, some TSA agents, unpaid for over a month, began to quit. Others called in sick, and lines in airports began to grow longer and slower. So, apparently on a whim designed …”
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The political stalemate over DHS funding is exacerbated by Trump's demands for controversial voting legislation, complicating efforts to resolve airport disruptions.
“nobody on Capitol Hill but John Fetterman supports the Iranian mission meaning whatever percentage of Democrats your Democrat party is giving you a giant middle finger. All right? Here's another thing. This is, well, as far as, like, illegal immigration is concerned, most people prefer that illegals are deported from the country. No Democrats in Congress support deporting illegals from the country. This means that you Democrats who do support deporting illegals because it's …”
“nobody on Capitol Hill but John Fetterman supports the Iranian mission meaning whatever percentage of Democrats your Democrat party is giving you a giant middle finger. All right? Here's another thing. This is, well, as far as, like, illegal immigration is concerned, most people prefer that illegals are deported from the country. No Democrats in Congress support deporting illegals from the country. This means that you Democrats who do support deporting illegals because it's important to maintain your sovereignty in this country, they're giving you a giant middle finger. So let's focus not only on the Republicans like John Thune, and there's no excuses because we always get some sort of nonsense from the Republican Party. They always fight with Marcus of Queensbury rules in an MMA fight. They always let us down. Don't …”
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A shocking reality: the Democrat Party is out of touch with the majority of its supporters, as evidenced by their stance on illegal immigration and gender in sports. Despite polls showing that a significant number of Democrats favor deporting illegal immigrants and disagree with transgender athletes competing in women's sports, their representatives in Congress are voting against these views, leaving many constituents feeling betrayed. This disconnect raises the question: is it time for Democrats to reconsider their party affiliation?
“… Democrats look the other way when they steal billions and billions and billions of dollars? And now that we're getting a little bit closer, I saw John Thune, maybe Sunday, bringing the Save Act to the floor of the Senate, and the Democrats are freaking out. This is Mark Warner, senator from the state I live in. Not proud of this at all, by the way. Listen to him. I never thought I'd have to ever say this. but I am seriously concerned about the security and integrity of our elections in 2026.”
“… their bat guano crazy nonsense unless illegals who they've loaded up with largesse with every government benefit to the tune of trillions of dollars in fraud around the country, Somali fraud in Minnesota, vote slavishly Democrat. And what happens when Democrats look the other way when they steal billions and billions and billions of dollars? And now that we're getting a little bit closer, I saw John Thune, maybe Sunday, bringing the Save Act to the floor of the Senate, and the Democrats are freaking out. This is Mark Warner, senator from the state I live in. Not proud of this at all, by the way. Listen to him. I never thought I'd have to ever say this. but I am seriously concerned about the security and integrity of our elections in 2026.”
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A growing concern over the display of Islamic flags in American cities highlights a deeper fear about national identity and security. The speaker connects this to the integrity of elections, arguing that only citizens should vote, and emphasizes the need for strict voter ID laws to prevent fraud. This reflects a broader anxiety about immigration and the perceived threats to American values.
“… understand? It's the biggest power grab in American history. And they're not going to give it up. And President Trump is a fighter. And he's telling John Thune, I know you've been in the Senate a thousand years, John. But you're going to have to really step it up. We don't have the votes, he says. Well, we do have the votes except for the filibuster problem. And so guys like Mike Lee are saying, all right, let's have a standing filibuster. In other words, let's fight this as long as we can and let's see what happens. And let's see what happens. Let's fight their filibuster. Let's see what happens. The …”
“… easier for people to vote. You have to have the right to vote. And so they flood the system with aliens. Then they take down the barriers to corruption and fraud. And that's what they're doing. This is the biggest power grab in American history. You understand? It's the biggest power grab in American history. And they're not going to give it up. And President Trump is a fighter. And he's telling John Thune, I know you've been in the Senate a thousand years, John. But you're going to have to really step it up. We don't have the votes, he says. Well, we do have the votes except for the filibuster problem. And so guys like Mike Lee are saying, all right, let's have a standing filibuster. In other words, let's fight this as long as we can and let's see what happens. And let's see what happens. Let's fight their filibuster. Let's see what happens. The president is saying, look, the Democrats come in, they're going to kill the filibuster and they're going to push their agenda no matter what. How do we know? Because they've told us that. While we're in, we've got to do the same thing. it's an attractive argument, I must say, as somebody who believes in the filibuster because we're not a …”
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The Democrats are accused of orchestrating the biggest power grab in American history by manipulating voting laws and flooding the system with non-citizens. Critics argue that this undermines the integrity of elections and allows for corruption and fraud. In response, President Trump and his allies are calling for a fight against these measures, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the filibuster to protect democratic processes.
“… that's not the case. You see social media. You see some of these folks, Scott Pressler is leading a charge now to handwrite notes and send them to John Thune and post a picture on social media of your handwritten letters. So we have to play a bigger role in that process too and tell our servants, our public servants, how we want to be served. And I think we're doing that. And sometimes when we do that, people look at that and go, oh my gosh, you're attacking your own people. We're not attacking. We're literally saying like this is what we want and we want you to follow through. You're supposed to …”
“… They are public servants, but we have to be there to tell them how we want to be served or else they could just play dumb. I didn't hear from my constituents. I didn't hear from anybody. I thought they didn't want the Save Act passed. Well, obviously that's not the case. You see social media. You see some of these folks, Scott Pressler is leading a charge now to handwrite notes and send them to John Thune and post a picture on social media of your handwritten letters. So we have to play a bigger role in that process too and tell our servants, our public servants, how we want to be served. And I think we're doing that. And sometimes when we do that, people look at that and go, oh my gosh, you're attacking your own people. We're not attacking. We're literally saying like this is what we want and we want you to follow through. You're supposed to represent our best interests and you're not doing that.”
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Ridealong summary
If we don't tell our representatives how we want our policies, we can't be upset when they serve us something we didn't order. Civic engagement is crucial; just like at a restaurant, we must communicate our needs to our public servants. By actively participating and voicing our opinions, we can ensure our interests are represented and not ignored.
“… tree where the president adds new ornaments that he wants, lest it undercut the message. Now, lastly, I spoke moments ago to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and asked him, given all the troubles that the Senate is having in terms of finding a path to the bill, should the House pass a third version of it if President Trump wants new defense? He said probably yes. If the bill has to change, then the House should pass it, given how cumbersome it will be for the Senate to pass it a second time, let alone a first. Maybe he's passing the buck a little bit to his House counterparts. I want to talk about …”
“… for minors. These are things that Republicans do support. I can easily see it getting the vote. The problem is that they do include that, then they kind of lose the argument that this is fundamentally an elections bill. This can't be a Christmas tree where the president adds new ornaments that he wants, lest it undercut the message. Now, lastly, I spoke moments ago to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and asked him, given all the troubles that the Senate is having in terms of finding a path to the bill, should the House pass a third version of it if President Trump wants new defense? He said probably yes. If the bill has to change, then the House should pass it, given how cumbersome it will be for the Senate to pass it a second time, let alone a first. Maybe he's passing the buck a little bit to his House counterparts. I want to talk about this ultimatum that President issued about not sending any other bills. That would also apply to Republican priorities and Republican bills. They're trying to do a housing bill to bring down affordability. So how do you see all of that playing out? I take that with a heavy grain of salt. I think this is one of those cases where you take the …”
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Ridealong summary
Trump's demands for the SAVE Act are unrealistic and risk undermining the bill's core purpose by adding unrelated provisions.
The SAVE Act's current form is unlikely to pass without significant changes, as President Trump's additional demands could undermine its focus as an elections bill.
“… Trump is the greatest dealmaker in history. And what Ken Paxton has just done is given President Trump the leverage that he needs to go tell John Thune to get his caucus in line and get this thing passed And you have John Cornyn coming out and saying oh well I a co of this bill Who cares? Co-sponsoring the bill doesn't matter. You have to lift the filibuster to get it passed. We all know this. And John Cornyn has consistently said over and over again for his, I don't know, 20 years, 30 years, I forget how long this man's been in the United States Senate, but that he will under no circumstance …”
“… You want me out that bad. How about this? I would agree to step aside if and only if not only you bring the Save America Act to a vote, it has to also pass. Then, you know what, I would maybe fall on the sword for the good of my country. And so President Trump is the greatest dealmaker in history. And what Ken Paxton has just done is given President Trump the leverage that he needs to go tell John Thune to get his caucus in line and get this thing passed And you have John Cornyn coming out and saying oh well I a co of this bill Who cares? Co-sponsoring the bill doesn't matter. You have to lift the filibuster to get it passed. We all know this. And John Cornyn has consistently said over and over again for his, I don't know, 20 years, 30 years, I forget how long this man's been in the United States Senate, but that he will under no circumstance lift the filibuster. So he's co-sponsoring a bill that he procedurally won't allow to come to the floor for a vote. It is pathetic. You know, Mike Lee, you talk about it with Cornyn, these guys, here's how phony they are. The filibuster, the talking filibuster, I tell people they're never going to do that because they won't even go on recess. …”
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The GOP leadership, particularly figures like John Cornyn and Mitch McConnell, are obstructing Trump's America First policies by refusing to lift the filibuster, rendering their co-sponsorship of the SAVE Act meaningless.
The SAVE America Act is being blocked by Republican senators who refuse to lift the filibuster, showing their lack of trust in President Trump and their role as a barrier to America First policies.
“… irate at the fact that President Trump might endorse and is indeed half expected to endorse one of his greatest detractors over the last decade, John Cornyn. Now, a significant development happened yesterday with Ken Paxton, who really does, to my mind, represent the most loyal MAGA type of person that you could possibly get. I mean, this guy has been in Trump's corner, not just chit chat and happy talk for the last decade, but actually on the front lines of this fight, on the legal front lines of this fight, on the political front lines of this fight. And he comes out and he says look you …”
“… last 24 hours that it's almost like President Trump has a bigger war in Texas as he does in the Middle East right now. It's one of these things that is getting people not just in Texas, but all around the country absolutely invested. And in some cases, irate at the fact that President Trump might endorse and is indeed half expected to endorse one of his greatest detractors over the last decade, John Cornyn. Now, a significant development happened yesterday with Ken Paxton, who really does, to my mind, represent the most loyal MAGA type of person that you could possibly get. I mean, this guy has been in Trump's corner, not just chit chat and happy talk for the last decade, but actually on the front lines of this fight, on the legal front lines of this fight, on the political front lines of this fight. And he comes out and he says look you know I understand the president has a hard decision to make but I willing to stand aside in this race if the Senate immediately passes the Save America Act which you know effectively is a vocation of a version of self sacrifice that somebody is willing to make for the country But it also very clever It also as I said yesterday kind of genius because …”
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Ridealong summary
Ken Paxton's strategic maneuvering in the Texas Senate race is a masterstroke, turning it into a referendum on the Save America Act and challenging the GOP's commitment to election integrity.
Ken Paxton's strategic move to tie his candidacy to the Save America Act turns the Texas Senate race into a referendum on Trump's influence and election security issues.
“… the best case online. She can make all of this bullcrap Senate speak understandable because, you know, we've got the SAVE Act coming. And we've got John Cornyn on our side now. It's fixed. John Thune, he's still a little skeptical, but Cornyn's on our side. So Rachel is here to tell us exactly what is happening with the SAVE America Act. how this is working and what we should expect, Rachel. Hi, Rachel. Hi there. Great to be back. Thanks for having me. Thank you. So what is actually happening with this? So after months at this point of the Senate Republicans resisting doing anything on the Save …”
“Let me go to Rachel Bovard. She is CPI Vice President of Programs, and she has made the best case online. She can make all of this bullcrap Senate speak understandable because, you know, we've got the SAVE Act coming. And we've got John Cornyn on our side now. It's fixed. John Thune, he's still a little skeptical, but Cornyn's on our side. So Rachel is here to tell us exactly what is happening with the SAVE America Act. how this is working and what we should expect, Rachel. Hi, Rachel. Hi there. Great to be back. Thanks for having me. Thank you. So what is actually happening with this? So after months at this point of the Senate Republicans resisting doing anything on the Save America Act because, you know, they don't have the votes. They can't do it. John Doon, to his credit, has actually moved to proceed to the House passed bill. He did that yesterday. So what that means is the Senate is what we call on the bill. It is the pending business before the Senate and they are now debating it So once they got on the bill …”
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The SAVE America Act's progress is hindered by internal Republican disputes, but the Senate's current open debate format is a rare and positive development.
“… and Democrats basically came to a deal to back off of this. It's not too far from what you had proposed a couple weeks ago, Bill. And this is this. Thune told Trump that Senate Republicans would support funding all of DHS except ICE. ice funding would be handled later in a party line reconciliation bill so the democrats will accept that offer basically the contours of the offer would be republicans would not have to make the concessions on ice and cbp because they would end up jamming it through on a 50 vote thing going forward but the democrats would have delayed installed that and successfully …”
“… night and this morning, both people missing flights. This is happening at other airports. This is my one actual first-hand reporting or second-hand reporting that I can offer. And the report from Punchbowl this morning is that the Senate Republicans and Democrats basically came to a deal to back off of this. It's not too far from what you had proposed a couple weeks ago, Bill. And this is this. Thune told Trump that Senate Republicans would support funding all of DHS except ICE. ice funding would be handled later in a party line reconciliation bill so the democrats will accept that offer basically the contours of the offer would be republicans would not have to make the concessions on ice and cbp because they would end up jamming it through on a 50 vote thing going forward but the democrats would have delayed installed that and successfully isolated ice out from the rest of the budget and you know who knows i don't know who would vote on that but i guess thun and thun blaze you could get 60 votes for that funding the rest of dhs Oh, for the funding of the rest of DHS. Yeah, that's the Democratic position. But Democrats would never have to vote for funding ICE. That would be the key. …”
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Airport security is in disarray as Trump deploys ICE agents who are untrained and ineffective, causing massive delays. Reports from the New Orleans airport reveal passengers waiting up to four hours, missing flights due to the chaos. Meanwhile, a potential bipartisan deal to fund DHS without ICE is blocked by Trump, leaving travelers in turmoil.
“… Americans, including a super majority of Democrats and a super majority of minorities. If we can't get the SAVE Act passed in the Senate, if Senator John Thune cannot get the SAVE Act passed in the Senate, he may need to find a different line of work. If you can't pass legislation with 80 percent support, including a super majority of Democrats and a super majority of minorities, you're not doing your job. So force these Democrats to get up there and argue like this Patty Murray has just done from Washington that married women can't figure out how to change their voter ID so they can vote like they're …”
“… political hardball? We need to make sure that Senate Republicans keep their backbones here. This is the most crucial piece of legislation. Remember what Senate Democrats are doing. They are filibustering a bill with 80% plus support among Americans, including a super majority of Democrats and a super majority of minorities. If we can't get the SAVE Act passed in the Senate, if Senator John Thune cannot get the SAVE Act passed in the Senate, he may need to find a different line of work. If you can't pass legislation with 80 percent support, including a super majority of Democrats and a super majority of minorities, you're not doing your job. So force these Democrats to get up there and argue like this Patty Murray has just done from Washington that married women can't figure out how to change their voter ID so they can vote like they're too stupid. Maybe they're just pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen and they don't know how to get to the DMV and change their ID like every other woman in America. Or like the Democrats try to argue that black Americans don't have the wherewithal to get a voter ID like everyone else, even though a supermajority of black voters support voter ID. …”
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Ridealong summary
The SAVE Act, backed by a supermajority of Americans, faces fierce opposition in the Senate. With key Republican senators urging their colleagues to stand strong, this political battle reveals the Democrats' controversial arguments against voter ID laws. If the SAVE Act fails to pass, it raises questions about the effectiveness of Senate leadership and political accountability.
“John Thune, who's the Senate majority leader, has made it clear, especially given the current polling, that he has no interest whatsoever of eliminating 150-year, 200-year tradition of the filibuster, which is the power of the minority, the party in minority, which he knows could be the Republicans very soon, to block a bill or a law that they don't agree with by back in old timey times, like Mr. Smith goes to Washington. You literally went to a podium …”
“John Thune, who's the Senate majority leader, has made it clear, especially given the current polling, that he has no interest whatsoever of eliminating 150-year, 200-year tradition of the filibuster, which is the power of the minority, the party in minority, which he knows could be the Republicans very soon, to block a bill or a law that they don't agree with by back in old timey times, like Mr. Smith goes to Washington. You literally went to a podium for like days on end and you gave a speech or you read the phone book or whatever you needed to do to fill in for a week's worth of time. You read the entire Pickwick papers or whatever you did, and that was a filibuster. And then hopefully the voting would die down. You don't have to do that anymore. You can just say you're going to filibuster. And …”
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Ridealong summary
Senate Majority Leader John Thune insists on preserving the filibuster, a 200-year tradition that allows the minority party to block legislation. This is particularly relevant as voter ID laws threaten to disenfranchise many potential voters, especially women, by requiring citizenship documentation that a significant portion of the population lacks. The implications of these laws raise concerns about federal overreach into state-controlled elections, a principle the framers of the Constitution sought to protect.
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