{"id":22263,"date":"2026-07-30T18:40:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T13:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=22263"},"modified":"2026-07-30T18:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T13:40:08","slug":"the-brief-trump-threatens-thunes-job-in-renewed-bid-to-suppress-the-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=22263","title":{"rendered":"The Brief: Trump Threatens Thune\u2019s Job in Renewed Bid to Suppress the Vote"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\">\n<p><em>Good morning. It was great to meet all of you who came out to our event in New York last night with Marisa Kabas of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehandbasket.co\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Handbasket<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-3755f31d-e0b8-44b1-b209-1d47262e0a1e\">Trump Tries to Raise the Stakes on SAVE Again<\/h2>\n<p>President Donald Trump made a show yesterday afternoon of preparing to throw Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to the wolves out of frustration that the SAVE Act is not yet on track to pass in any form. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/07\/29\/trump-senate-republicans-maga-budget-bill\" target=\"_blank\">latest push<\/a> is to jam parts of the bill through using budget reconciliation, which requires 51 instead of 60 votes, though Trump also continues to agitate for Thune to nuke the filibuster and pass the full voter suppression package.<\/p>\n<p>Asked whether Thune is the right person to lead the Senate, Trump said, \u201cWe will find out, and I will let you know.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll right. Well, that\u2019s nice of him, I guess,\u201d Thune told <a href=\"https:\/\/punchbowl.news\/article\/senate\/trump-tightrope\/\" target=\"_blank\">Punchbowl<\/a>. \u201cI don\u2019t know \u2014 what do you say on that? That\u2019s a decision that\u2019s made by my colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Throughout Trump\u2019s SAVE Act pressure campaign on his Senate allies, he has repeatedly made demands that misunderstand the reality of how the Senate functions, and how bills become law. He has seemed <a href=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/news\/trump-comes-to-terms-with-the-fact-that-the-entire-save-act-cant-be-stuffed-in-budget-bill\" target=\"_blank\">amenable<\/a> to passing what everyone has taken to calling the \u201cSAVE Act\u201d through budget reconciliation, even though a SAVE Act done through reconciliation, <a href=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/cafe\/the-outrageous-house-republican-move-to-enact-trumps-vote-suppression-proposals-by-the-backdoor-of-budget-reconciliation\" target=\"_blank\">while bad<\/a>, would likely be without the nationwide voter-ID and proof-of-citizenship mandates that are core to what the SAVE Act is. It is unclear whether Trump realizes this. He has refused to sign a popular housing bill, though without his signature it simply became law after 10 days; in doing so, the president achieved nothing on the SAVE Act while robbing himself of an opportunity to claim a victory on \u201caffordability.\u201d His demands for the SAVE Act to be attached to various funding bills dramatically complicated his allies\u2019 attempts to fund ICE over Democratic opposition in the spring, and look sure to complicate government funding fights this fall.<\/p>\n<p>When we see legislators take bills hostage, an increasingly common phenomenon since the Obama era that has often led to government shutdowns, the more effective efforts involve lawmakers carefully finding legislation where they have maximal leverage. Trump hasn\u2019t done this \u2014 perhaps he doesn\u2019t have the attention to detail to do so \u2014 and is as a result unable to truly achieve anything beyond making life considerably more frustrating for his fellow elected Republicans. <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the case this week, too. Thune is, of course, right that, in the end, Trump does not select the majority leader, though he may wish he did. Other senators do. Trump can\u2019t oust Thune. But he can elevate him as a target at which his activist base should direct their hate. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-37dbb2ed-e5c2-43da-ab45-9806c96330f8\">Trump\u2019s Blanche Nomination Gets Stuck<\/h2>\n<div class=\"GalleryImageWrapper\">\n<h2 class=\"GalleryImageWrapper__Title\"\/>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"536\" width=\"804\" src=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg?w=804\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1553502\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg 4943w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2288183526.jpg?resize=98,64 98w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 JULY 29: Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche leaves a meeting on Capitol Hill on July 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a vote to advance Blanche\u2019s nomination tomorrow. However, two Republican lawmakers, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), said they are unsure whether they will support him. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>John Cornyn (R-TX) has caused a vote to advance Todd Blanche\u2019s nomination for attorney general, scheduled for today, to be postponed. <\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Yesterday, Cornyn said he was canceling a meeting with Blanche, explaining that he wanted to see a written modification to the settlement between Trump and the IRS that would have created the \u201canti-weaponization\u201d slush fund. <\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/news\/sen-cornyn-cancels-meeting-with-blanche-as-nomination-vote-hangs-in-balance\" target=\"_blank\">The DOJ told us it sent a \u201cwritten proposal<\/a> to Senator Cornyn\u2019s staff.\u201d Cornyn told reporters, \u201cI haven\u2019t seen a single piece of writing that is responsive to what I\u2019ve requested.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>The vote could move forward whenever Cornyn gives the green light, though at this point that might not happen with enough time to confirm him before the Senate takes a month-long recess, beginning at the end of next week. <\/li>\n<li>The episode is more significant as a (perhaps short-lived) display of GOP Senate resistance to Trump than as an actual check on the DOJ: Even if Blanche isn\u2019t confirmed, he can remain in the role as acting attorney general. And whatever the fate of the slush fund, settlements for right-wing activists continue, with the DOJ agreeing this week to pay more than a million dollars to an anti-abortion activist who was convicted in 2024 of conspiring to prevent access to a clinic, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/29\/us\/politics\/todd-blanche-weaponization-payouts.html\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times<\/a> reports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-fb0fff83-f682-4d58-9638-afe1796a1ea2\">Tabs<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Republicans may not end up following Trump\u2019s endorsement and picking Darline Graham Nordone to fill her brother\u2019s seat, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/07\/30\/conservatives-skeptical-darline-graham-south-carolina-senate-race\/\" target=\"_blank\">the Washington Post<\/a> writes. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-downballot.com\/p\/morning-digest-darline-graham-may\" target=\"_blank\">The Downballot<\/a> gives a rundown of the many, many other candidates in the race, including some figures we\u2019ve covered quite a bit over the years.<\/li>\n<li>Kash Patel has lost a defamation suit against <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jimstewartson\/status\/2082264477282849152?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">an internet poster<\/a> who called him a \u201cgoogly-eyed Kremlin bitch\u201d and a \u201cchud,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/213675\/kash-patel-loses-lawsuit-blogger-googly-eyed-kremlin-chud\" target=\"_blank\">the New Republic<\/a> reports. U.S. District Court Judge for the district of Nevada Andrew P. Gordon found he did not have jurisdiction. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-eb25042a-6e09-4667-be9c-d8249280b074\">Man of the Hour<\/h2>\n<div class=\"GalleryImageWrapper\">\n<h2 class=\"GalleryImageWrapper__Title\"\/>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"475\" src=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2193928038.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1553495\" title=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">AUSTIN, TEXAS \u2013 NOVEMBER 8: Alex Jones speaks to the media outside the 459th Civil District Court on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 in Austin, Texas. More information has been revealed regarding the sale of Jones\u2019 Infowars\u2019 assets, including the production rights, the e-commerce business that sells nutrition supplements and the archival library. The initial bid deadline is Nov. 8. (Sergio Flores\/Connecticut Post via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s Alex Jones, the onetime stalwart ally of President Trump who has now turned to demanding his <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5996424-alex-jones-trump-impeachment-iran\/\" target=\"_blank\">impeachment<\/a> over the Iran war to attract attention (which, admittedly, he is succeeding in doing). I used a gas station bathroom off I-95 the other day where someone had written \u201cAlex Jones is right\u201d on the soap dispenser \u2014 so make of that what you will. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-874c648d-9a21-4439-a153-73a3168d9335\">Are We at War?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/30\/world\/live-news\/iran-war-trump\" target=\"_blank\">You bet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    window.fbAsyncInit = function() {\n      FB.init({\n        appId: \"101800829865996\",\n        xfbml: true,\n        version: ' v2.6'\n      });\n      window.fbAsyncInit.__didInit = true;\n    };\n    (function(d, s, id) {\n      var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n      if (d.getElementById(id)) {\n        return;\n      }\n      js = d.createElement(s);\n      js.id = id;\n      js.src = \"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\";\n      fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n    }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\n  <\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Good morning. It was great to meet all of you who came out to our event in New York last night with Marisa Kabas of The Handbasket. Trump Tries to Raise the Stakes on SAVE Again President Donald Trump made a show yesterday afternoon of preparing to throw Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2287530957.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}