Trump demands SAVE Act vote as Thune says path forward ‘still unclear’

President Donald Trump’s declaration that he will not sign any new bills until the Senate passes voter ID legislation threatens to derail his own legislative priorities and sideline confirmation of the latest addition to his Cabinet.

Trump wants Senate Republicans to pass the Safeguarding America’s Voters Eligibility (SAVE) Act through the upper chamber through a filibuster, even at the expense of the Senate’s most valuable asset: speaking time.

“This must be done immediately. This supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT LINE. As president, I will not sign any more bills until this one passes,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Schumer once blocked Trump’s decision to fill the country’s oil reserves, now he wants them opened

President Donald Trump attends the Americas Shield Summit on March 7, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

But it comes as the Senate fights to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has entered its fourth week of closure. A White House official told Fox News Digital that Trump was “referring to other bills, not DHS funding.”

“If Democrats do the right thing and approve funding for DHS, of course the president will fund the agency,” the official said.

Trump’s executive order and his push for the Senate to turn to the filibuster intensified pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who promised to vote on the bill but could not guarantee it would pass.

Asked about Trump and social media’s growing campaign to use the filibuster, Thune said, “A lot of it is because it’s in this kind of paid influencer ecosystem.” »

“But there is a lot of support for this project,” Thune said. “As I said, we are, I think, for the most part, not everyone, but there is very strong support among Republican senators for this policy. But the process and how to try to get an outcome at the end of the day is still not clear to me.”

SCHUMER, DEMS STAND FIRM ON DHS FUNDING DESPITE NOEM BOMB AVOIDANCE

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued that Democrats were continuing their efforts to keep DHS closed because it was “politically advantageous.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

Republicans are also working to advance a sweeping affordable housing program backed by Trump, consider a likely additional spending package to restock munitions for the conflict with Iran, and go through the confirmation process of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Republican of Oklahoma, the president’s latest pick to lead DHS.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., noted that the GOP’s top priority right now is funding DHS.

“The Democrats have blocked this for the moment,” Barrasso told Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures.” “And the greatest threat facing the American people today is terrorism.”

And although the SAVE America Act is supported by most Senate Republicans, it is not an easy bill to pass in the upper chamber, given the hardline stance Senate Democrats have taken against it.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reiterated that the bill is “Jim Crow 2.0.” It would deprive tens of millions of people of their rights.”

“If Trump says he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act passes, so be it: There will be total gridlock in the Senate,” Schumer said on X. “Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act in any way.”

THUNE GUARANTEES VOTER ID BILL WILL HIT Senate Despite Schumer, Dems’ Opposition: ‘WE WILL HAVE A VOTE’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, March 3, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It is also unlikely to be a filibuster, due to Republicans’ major fear that it will dominate speaking time during hundreds of hours of debate. But another factor is that there may not be unity among Republicans to defeat the amendments proposed by Senate Democrats.

Further complicating matters is the question of which version of the SAVE America Act Trump wants.

House Republicans last month advanced the SAVE America Act, which would require voter ID to vote, proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, require states to actively verify and remove noncitizens from voter rolls, expand information sharing with federal agencies, including DHS, to verify citizenship, and create new criminal penalties for registering noncitizens to vote.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

But Trump called on Republicans to “GET GOLD” with a bill requiring showing voter ID and proof of citizenship, eliminating mail-in ballots except for military members or those with illnesses, disabilities or travel issues, banning men in women’s sports and “NO TRANSGENDER.” [MUTILATION] FOR THE CHILDREN!”

This version of the bill is expected to pass through the House again before being sent to the Senate. Whether this project could survive in either chamber remains an open question. Thune acknowledged that Trump wanted a modified iteration of the bill, but he remained firm that the talking filibuster, or removal of the current filibuster, was unlikely to happen.

“The one thing I’ve always said, and I’ve told him and others, is I can’t guarantee an outcome. I can’t guarantee an outcome,” Thune said. “If the result is only achieved by neutralizing the legislative filibuster, we don’t have the votes to do it. So it’s simply not a realistic option. And I’ve made that clear to everyone who asks me.”