On Monday, July 28th, 2026, the Wall Street Journal editorial board publicly stated that President Donald Trump is mistaken in his efforts to pressure Republicans to eliminate the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster rule to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act.

The editorial described the idea as one that "belongs in a hall of fame" for bad ideas in Washington. It argued that scrapping the filibuster in exchange for the SAVE America Act would effectively give progressives the means to pack the Supreme Court and create new states, while the voting bill itself does not represent a clear political win for the GOP. The board called this "a terrible trade."

The editorial also challenged Trump’s belief that widespread illegal voting is the sole reason Republicans lose elections, stating, "Trump truly believes that hordes of illegal voters are the only reason Republicans ever lose, it isn’t true."

On the same day, President Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) clashed over the proposal to cancel the Senate’s August recess to debate the SAVE America Act. Thune advised against dedicating time to legislation that has repeatedly failed on the Senate floor and resisted Trump’s repeated calls to abolish the filibuster for the bill’s passage.

Thune emphasized that Trump has already been informed by other Senate Republicans that there are insufficient votes to change the chamber’s rules. He remarked, "If I thought there was a path to getting a result, I’m all for it. … We voted on it two, three, four, five times already, had it up on the floor for an extended period of time. What’s the picture of victory at the end?"

The debate highlights ongoing tensions within the Republican Party over voting legislation and Senate procedural rules.

Sources