Look, I’ve been around long enough to spot profiles in courage. And John Thune isn’t writing one today.
Here’s what happened. Trump stood at the State of the Union and called on Senate Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act—the voter ID bill that’s got the left absolutely losing their minds. Fair request. Reasonable ask. The President of the United States literally said: “Do this.” And how did the Senate Majority Leader respond? By basically saying: “Nah, too hard.”
Thune’s excuse? Republicans aren’t unified enough. The talking filibuster is too risky. It might complicate reopening the government. Poor guy. It must be exhausting to have all those concerns.
Let me translate: “I don’t want to fight.”
The talking filibuster is a legitimate parliamentary tactic. You stand there. You talk. You hold the line. It’s not some exotic procedural weapon—it’s how debates used to work before everyone got soft. But Thune would rather punt than use it. And when he explains why, listen to what he’s actually saying.
“If we were to go down that path, it’s very hard to pivot and get back to open up the government.”
Translation: “I might have to do something uncomfortable.”
He keeps harping on funding. DHS. TSA. Coast Guard. FEMA. “I frankly think we ought to — we need to make sure that DHS, TSA, Coast Guard, FEMA, all those agencies, are funded.” Sure. Fund them. Nobody’s arguing against funding the government. But that’s not why he won’t fight for voter ID. That’s cover. That’s political camouflage.
The real problem? He’s counting votes and seeing divisions. Instead of leadership—instead of actually leading his conference toward the President’s goal—Thune’s managing toward failure. He’s letting the perfect be the enemy of the good and then blaming everyone else.
Here’s the gut punch. According to him, the Republican conference isn’t even on the same page.
“That’s harder to do once you’re in the throes of a talking filibuster. The talking filibuster issue is one on which there is not, certainly, a unified Republican conference — and there would have to be, if you go down that path.”
You want to know what real leaders do? They unify their people around a cause. They don’t survey the room, measure the sentiment, and announce that unity is impossible. Reagan didn’t poll Congress before taking on the Soviets. Trump didn’t ask Republicans for permission before fighting back against the witch hunts. Real leaders persuade. They convince. They lead.
Thune’s doing the opposite. He’s distributing blame. “Well, we’re not all on the same page, so I guess we can’t do it.” That’s management-speak. That’s corporate HR speak. That’s not how you run a Senate.
The SAVE America Act is popular. It makes sense. Voter ID has overwhelming support because normal Americans understand something basic: you need an ID for literally everything except voting. The fact that this is even controversial tells you everything about how far the left has dragged this country.
And Thune? He’s letting them win without a real fight.
When Trump called on him to act, he had a choice: lead or manage. He chose comfort. He chose consensus. He chose the path of least resistance.
That’s not leadership. That’s surrender dressed up in procedural language.