Thune and Trump hit the skids

IN THIS EDITION

Thune and Trump diverge – and fray

Lankford on the talking filibuster – and more

Vault: Durbin wants Social Security to stay clear of crypto

Warren stumps for progressives in Illinois

THE TOP

Thune and Trump diverge – and fray

Happy Friday morning.

The relationship between Senate Majority Leader John Thune and President Donald Trump is under increasing stress, as the two diverge on legislative strategy and tactics.

The SAVE America Act — Trump’s singular focus — is driving a wedge between the two men.

Despite Thune’s adeptness at masking his frustrations, the South Dakota Republican’s deep concerns were evident this week. Thune found himself in direct opposition to Trump in ways that are creating new rifts inside the Senate GOP Conference and threatening to upend the party’s election-year agenda.

It all centers around the SAVE America Act, House-approved legislation requiring ID and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. That measure will be on the Senate floor next week, but it won’t pass because GOP leaders lack sufficient support for sustaining a “talking filibuster.”

Thune has communicated that to Trump, but the president is leading a relentless pressure campaign on GOP senators anyway — one that’s being egged on by MAGA influencers and hardline conservatives.

Thune has been the biggest target of that MAGA push, with powerful allies of the president like mega billionaire Elon Musk accusing the majority leader of standing in the way of Trump’s agenda.

“It’s just another normal week, right?” Thune told us Thursday with a laugh when we asked whether his relationship with Trump has become more strained as a result.

Except it wasn’t a normal week.

Thune and Trump have forged a close bond throughout the 119th Congress. The relationship has survived some low points, from ideological differences on tariffs to Trump’s calls for Senate Republicans to scrap institutional traditions such as the filibuster and the “blue slip.”

Here’s more from Thune:

Trump made clear throughout the week that he didn’t want to focus on anything but the SAVE America Act, even saying he wouldn’t sign any legislation until the Senate sends the measure to his desk before later backtracking.

Trump seemingly couldn’t care less that the Senate passed a landmark housing bill on Thursday with massive bipartisan support, something Thune has been dubbing a top priority. As we scooped on Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson relayed to his leadership team that Trump told him, “no one gives a [bleep] about housing.”

Now, Trump appears to be trying to get more creative in his pressure campaign against Thune — even as the loudest supporters of the “talking filibuster” are admitting that this gambit won’t work.

Thune has been practically begging Trump for months to endorse Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in his bruising GOP primary against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Trump seemed on track to finally back Cornyn last week. But the president is now holding an endorsement hostage as a way to put even more pressure on Thune. Cornyn has flip-flopped on the filibuster seeking Trump’s backing.

The fallout. GOP senators, even the most intense supporters of the SAVE America Act, are incensed at the president’s posture. They’re also unhappy with those in the MAGA universe calling for Thune to be removed as GOP leader just for stating the reality that the votes aren’t there for a talking filibuster. Many are blaming social media misinformation.

Here’s what Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told us on Fly Out Day:

Thune’s job isn’t in any jeopardy right now, and he’s getting backup from all factions of the conference.

But this is all going to ramp up again next week, when Republicans are expected to hold marathon floor sessions on the SAVE America Act, culminating in an all-but-certain failed vote. Thune’s belief is that a drawn-out floor debate on what Republicans see as a popular issue will help “draw a contrast” with Democrats.

Yet a failed vote is unlikely to satisfy the GOP base. Proponents like Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) are already signaling they’ll forcefully resist efforts by GOP leaders to proceed to a final vote at the end of the process.

“Rather than… proceeding to a cloture vote relatively soon, I think we need to debate it for quite a while before we even think about that,” Lee said.

Midterms impact. Trump and influential MAGA figures insist that the GOP will lose the midterms if the SAVE America Act isn’t passed. That’s leading Republicans to relive their nightmares from the 2020 presidential election and the 2021 Georgia Senate runoffs.

For his part, Thune maintained that the midterms will be about the economy and pocketbook issues — something the majority leader is desperate to focus on, especially after the passage of the housing bill on Thursday.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) countered that Republicans’ electoral success depends on at least trying to find a path for the SAVE America Act because voters’ beliefs about a stolen election “have already been fomented.”

“At a minimum, we’ve got to show our supporters we’re willing to fight for this,” Johnson told us. “The worst possible outcome is that when Democrats refuse to engage in election security, Republicans get blamed for not being able to pass it. That’d be the worst result.”

— Andrew Desiderio, Anthony Adragna and Laura Weiss

RSVP: Join us for a conversation with Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) on Wednesday, March 18, at 8:30 a.m. ET. We’ll discuss the news of the day and digital wellbeing for kids and teenagers. RSVP!

FLY OUT DAY

Lankford on the talking filibuster – and more

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) was one of our newsiest guests on Fly Out Day. As a member of the Senate Intelligence, Finance and Homeland Security committees, Lankford finds himself in the middle of a bevy of critical issues

Let’s get into it.

Iran. Lankford said he’s completely comfortable with President Donald Trump’s war in Iran and isn’t terribly interested in qualifying what the president is trying to do.

“All the argument right now is, is it a conflict? Is it a war or whatever?” Lankford said. “If I was in Iran, I would think it was a war right now. And so I don’t get into all the nomenclature on this. At the end of the day, this is going to make them stop long term.”

But Lankford is very clear-eyed that Trump will need more money soon to conduct the war. The Oklahoma Republican said he was told by administration officials that they would need supplemental funding within 48 hours of the war beginning.

“We’re still talking a billion dollars a day, in all likelihood, to be able to maintain the war at the pace it’s running currently,” Lankford told us. “So the number is not small. I mean, that’s like the total spending for the country of Armenia is $11 billion a year for their total government. We just spent that in the first few days of the war.”

The SAVE America Act. Lankford is a staunch supporter of the SAVE America Act. But the Oklahoma Republican is realistic that attaching it would complicate the passage of FISA, a key law that allows the U.S. government to surveil foreign nationals.

“I’d love to see the SAVE America Act get added,” Lankford said. “I’d also love to see us get FISA done at the end of the day. I’m not willing to be able to surrender our national security for a fight that we’re going to have over election security. Both of those are important, but if I’ve got to pick right away, am I going to be able to see a foreign terrorist come to attack me on Thursday, or am I going to fight the fight on dealing with election security? I’m going to protect our national security every day.”

Interestingly, Lankford is opposed to a Trump-pushed provision to ban mail-in balloting. He said Oklahoma’s system, which requires notarized ballots, would be banned under Trump’s proposal.

Oklahoma’s Senate seat. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt met with Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune Thursday to discuss who Stitt may appoint to the Senate to succeed GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who has been nominated to head the Department of Homeland Security. The appointment lasts until a new senator is elected in November.

Lankford said he told Stitt, “just don’t send me a jerk.”

Lankford said that he is not going to endorse in the primary. Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) is the only declared candidate, but candidates have until early April to jump in.

“Probably not,” Lankford said, when asked if he would endorse. “I didn’t endorse when Markwayne Mullin ran. Though Markwayne is a friend, and I’ve known him for years. But I stayed out of that race. Let everybody work it out. I tell Oklahomans I have one vote like every other Oklahoman does.”

– Jake Sherman

LAND OF LINCOLN

Warren stumps for progressives in Illinois

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) is taking a swing through Illinois to stump for progressive candidates ahead of the primaries there next Tuesday.

Warren will appear with Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who is running for Senate; Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who is looking to replace retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.); and nonprofit executive Junaid Ahmed, who is running for Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s (D-Ill.) seat. Krishnamoorthi is seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate.

Both Biss and Ahmed are running against candidates who have received thousands of dollars in help from AIPAC donors. Stratton is locked in a three-way race with Krishnamoorthi and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.).

On the air. United Democracy Project, AIPAC’s super PAC, is out with an ad hitting Jason Friedman, a pro-Israel candidate running in Illinois’ open 7th District

UDP is backing Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin in the race. Its latest spot shows a picture of Friedman and notes that Chicago faith leaders have called his attacks “racist” and “misleading.”

Friedman recently went negative on Conyears-Ervin, accusing her of using staff to run personal errands. But the UDP attack against Friedman is still notable because Friedman has previously made a political donation through AIPAC. He is vocally supportive of military aid to Israel.

Conyears-Ervin and Friedman are top contenders to replace retiring incumbent, Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.). Davis has backed state Rep. La Shawn Ford.

– Ally Mutnick

… AND THERE’S MORE

Trade wars. The Trump administration is laying the groundwork for a massive wave of new tariffs on dozens of foreign countries.

The USTR’s new Section 301 investigations target 60 trading partners including the European Union, Canada, Mexico, China and Japan. This is a crucial step in President Donald Trump’s attempt to reconstruct his massive tariff regime using new authorities, after the Supreme Court ruled against using the IEEPA for levies.

Trump has said he doesn’t want Congress to get involved as he works to put new tariffs in place, and congressional Republicans have been glad to defer the fight. The 301 investigations, though, could eventually mean another round of widespread, higher tariffs.

Downtown Download. Craig Carbone, Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-Fla.) former chief of staff, is now lobbying for the ​Orlando Economic Partnership.

Staff training. The “Level Up” staff training program — run by House Administration Republicans — is graduating its fourth cohort of aspiring chiefs on Friday. A total of 30 staffers — selected from over 100 applicants — are in this cohort.

Bipartisan watch. Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) are urging the USDA to release cost share reimbursements for an organic farm certification program.

– Laura Weiss and Max Cohen

MOMENTS

CLIPS