A conservative organization is ramping up pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, warning that the group could support a primary challenger against the South Dakota Republican if the Senate fails to pass the SAVE America Act.
Tyler Bowyer, a top official with the political arm of Turning Point USA founded by Charlie Kirk, said the organization is prepared to recruit or back a primary opponent if the voter ID legislation stalls in the Senate.
The development was first reported by The Daily Caller.
“America needs the Save America Act passed,” Bowyer told the Washington Examiner in a text message.
The warning follows a bruising political fight in Indiana, where several Republican state senators voted against Donald Trump’s push to redraw the state’s congressional map.
In response, Turning Point Action and Club for Growth pledged to support primary challengers against the GOP lawmakers.
Six of the seven targeted Republican incumbents were defeated in their races.
Also, a number of other GOP incumbents have since lost their primaries after Trump endorsed their opponents.
Turning Point Action invested heavily in the Indiana primaries, deploying a major field operation and partnering with conservative activist Scott Presler to increase Republican turnout through rallies, voter outreach, and grassroots organizing efforts.
According to Politico, the White House and allied conservative groups spent nearly $10 million on the effort.
Now, Turning Point Action is signaling the campaign may expand nationally.
Bowyer argued that Republicans may need new Senate leadership if GOP lawmakers continue failing to advance key conservative priorities.
“Rick Scott should be in charge,” said Bowyer, invoking the name of the Florida Republican who ran against Thune for the leadership position.
Trump publicly voiced frustration Tuesday with Thune over the Senate’s inability to advance the SAVE America Act.
Trump also criticized the Senate’s continued use of the 60-vote filibuster threshold, arguing Republicans should eliminate the rule in order to move the legislation forward with a simple majority vote.
“I’m disappointed. I like John a lot, but there’s a couple of Republicans that are foolish people,” Trump told reporters when asked about Senate leadership.
“A couple of them I like, a couple of them I can’t stand,” he said, per the Washington Examiner.
Trump has ramped up pressure on Senate Republicans in recent days to eliminate the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act.
The legislation would require voters to present identification when casting ballots and provide documented proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, measures supporters argue are necessary to strengthen election security and prevent noncitizen voting.
“We should have the SAVE America Act,” Trump said. “We should have voter identification, voter ID.
“We should have proof of citizenship. We should have mail-in voting for the military and people that need it, but not for everybody, because anytime you have mail-in voting, they’re going to cheat,” he continued.
“And they cheat like dogs, and they have to cheat,” he added.
A source familiar with Thune’s thinking pushed back strongly against the criticism, noting that Thune is already a co-sponsor of the SAVE America Act and has supported voter ID requirements for years.
The source argued the core problem is not Thune’s position, but simple math: the bill currently lacks enough votes to pass the Senate. The person pointed to a recent amendment vote connected to reconciliation legislation that failed to secure even a bare majority.
The aide also defended Thune’s broader leadership record, highlighting the rapid confirmation of Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, Senate rule changes designed to accelerate confirmations, and passage of major GOP domestic policy and tax legislation earlier this year, the Examiner noted.
According to the source, conservative anger over the SAVE America Act fight is being directed at the wrong target. The aide noted that even some of the legislation’s strongest backers — including Sen. Mike Lee — have publicly praised Thune’s leadership.
The aide also pointed to a recent social media post from Lee dismissing speculation that Senate Republicans could attempt to remove Thune before the midterm
