Trump asks Thune to fire parliamentarian over SAVE Act

President Donald Trump called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to immediately fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough on Monday, June 8, 2026, escalating a conflict over procedural rulings that have stalled a key Republican legislative priority. Thune quickly rejected the demand, defending MacDonough as a fair and necessary arbiter of Senate rules.

The dispute centers on MacDonough’s recent determination that the SAVE America Act does not comply with the Senate’s Byrd Rule. This procedural rule governs what legislation can be included in a budget reconciliation package, which can pass with a simple majority vote and avoid a 60-vote filibuster threshold. The SAVE America Act, which passed the House in February, would require proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and mandate photo identification to cast a ballot in federal elections.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump argued that MacDonough, who was appointed in 2012 by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, is an obstacle to the bill's passage. He described her as a "nasty holdover" and claimed she "treats Republicans, and everything that they stand for, horribly." Trump asserted that Republicans have...