Frustration between President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans is now growing harder to mask.
The 80-year-old president's relentless push to attach the SAVE America Act to various Senate bills has created mounting friction between the White House and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), with GOP lawmakers increasingly expressing frustration at what they characterize as the president's misunderstanding of Senate operations, reported MS NOW.
"Is Trump burning goodwill on the hill? Absolutely," said one senior GOP staffer.
Trump has repeatedly pressured Thune over legislation that lacks the votes to pass, then publicly blamed him when it fails. He's called on the Senate to scrap the filibuster, branding anyone who opposes that "a FOOL," and warned that Republicans who resist "will go down on the wrong side of History." He also tied his support for renewing warrantless surveillance powers to passage of the SAVE America Act, prolonging a lapse in a key national security tool.
Other moves have added to the friction: a proposed anti-weaponization fund delayed an immigration bill, the appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence helped unravel a bipartisan surveillance deal and Trump's last-minute decision to pull intelligence nominee Jay Clayton from a confirmation hearing further muddied efforts to resolve the standoff.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) attributed the tension to a deeper disconnect. "I don't think he understands [the Senate], and quite honestly, I don't think he cares," she said, while still praising Thune's handling of the pressure.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) framed the dysfunction in broader terms: "The president's inconsistency is making it harder on the nation."
The White House has sought to downplay the discord. Legislative affairs director James Braid acknowledged "a big disagreement over the filibuster" but insisted the relationship remains strong. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the administration has "enjoyed working closely" with Thune and Senate Republicans.
Still, as one Republican senator put it, the dynamic between Trump and his party's Senate leadership has become "awkward for everybody" — and the goodwill once extended to the president shows signs of running thin.