據報導，在總統 Donald Trump 公開批評該黨一名高層領袖後，共和黨參議員表達了挫折與憂慮。

Politico 報導，共和黨參議員反駁了 Trump 近期針對參議院多數黨領袖 John Thune (R-SD) 的言論。Trump 將 Thune 未能通過 SAVE America Act 描述為他的失敗；該法案是一項要求投票者提供公民身分證明的選舉法案，並由 Trump 推動。

這場爭議凸顯參議院共和黨人反覆面臨的緊張關係：Trump 可以對黨內領袖施加公開壓力，但參議院規則與票數計算往往限制了即使獲多數支持的法案能多快推進。依照參議院程序，多數法案需要超過簡單多數的支持，才能克服程序障礙，這使少數黨擁有相當大的權力來阻擋或拖延立法。

Politico 報導，Trump 週三在 Georgia 的一場造勢活動上敦促與會者「call John Thune」，同時抱怨「the Senate is a place you send things when you want them to die」。Trump 還對群眾表示：「We're not going to take this any longer. We're not going to take it. I'm trying to be nice.」

白宮新聞秘書 Karoline Leavitt 週四強化了這一訊息，稱 Trump 對 Thune 的耐心正在「running out」。

但多名共和黨參議員在對 Politico 的評論中質疑，Trump 期待 Thune 做什麼來強行推動 SAVE America Act 通過。他們表示，參議院領袖不能單純強迫成員投票支持該法案。

「John can't put a gun to people's heads and make them vote a particular way,」Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) 告訴 Politico。

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) 也為 Thune 辯護，並批評 Trump 施壓行動的前提。

「This idea that he can just command members of the Republican conference to get in line is just a fantasy. So I think it's unfair,」Cornyn 根據 Politico 表示。「I don't know who it was that sold the president on this idea, that this was obtainable, but it's creating a circular firing squad for Republicans.」

一名匿名參議院共和黨助理在對 Politico 的談話中形容 Trump 對 Thune 的施壓「just exhausting」。「What leverage does he have over the Senate?」這名助理問道。

Thune 也為自己處理該法案的方式辯護，指出參議院的表決門檻，並主張民主黨正在阻擋這項措施。

「It's 50 around here, and so instead of, you know, pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats. And if there are Republicans that they think are gettable, get on the phone,」Thune 表示。