An unresolved “huge issue” may soon spark “another fight” between President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) that “could explode” at any moment, The Hill reported Monday after speaking with multiple GOP strategists.
At the center of the conflict is Trump’s push for Congress to pass the SAVE Act, the controversial voter ID bill that’s been described by critics as a form of “voter suppression.” The bill has stalled in the Senate, much to the frustration of Trump.
Trump has disrupted the Senate GOP’s agenda over his frustrations with their inability to advance the SAVE Act, with Thune repeatedly claiming that he doesn’t have the votes to advance the president’s voter ID bill. As multiple GOP strategists have warned, the conflict between the two could soon erupt.
“It feels as if things have calmed down for a little bit for right now because tensions were really high but they could return to being very tense shortly,” said GOP strategist Ron Bonjean, speaking with The Hill. “It really depends on where Trump is. He’s not letting the SAVE Act go.”
Another GOP strategist, who spoke with The Hill on the condition of anonymity, said that the SAVE Act would be a “huge issue,” and predicted a major spat between Trump and Thune could be just around the corner.
“They’re trying to get on the same page but Trump has made it very clear that he doesn’t need Congress except for the SAVE Act, to fund the Iran war and to get his nominees through. I think we’ll end up returning to some tensions,” the GOP strategist told The Hill.
“When you feel things are lightening up that’s when you feel like the page is going to turn back to what we experienced a couple weeks ago.”