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Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN he had not spoken with President Donald Trump in nearly two weeks, describing their conversations as happening “more on an as-needed basis” as Republicans head into a compressed stretch before the August recess.
The South Dakota Republican’s comments, published Aug. 2, 2026, drew a sharp contrast with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who CNN reported fields frequent calls from Trump, sometimes after long White House meetings. Thune said he often learns of Trump’s latest demands or criticism through Truth Social and news coverage rather than direct conversation.
Search interest for john thune donald trump communication ranked 20 on the 3 Aug 2026 Google Trends pull, landing a day after Thune told CNN he had not spoken with Trump in nearly two weeks and described contact as as-needed.
The fight behind the silence
The communication gap sits inside a monthslong clash over the SAVE America Act, Trump’s proof-of-citizenship and voter ID bill. Trump has pressed Thune to advance the measure before senators leave town and to scrap the legislative filibuster so it could clear with a simple majority. Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, short of the usual 60 votes needed to end debate, and Thune has said the conference will not eliminate the filibuster.
“It’s just a fact, we’re not going to nuke the filibuster,” Thune told CNN.
Fox News reported that when Trump was asked whether Thune remained the right person to lead Senate Republicans, the president replied, “Well, we’re going to find out, and I’ll let you know.” Thune later answered that leadership is decided by his colleagues, telling CNN of Trump: “He doesn’t vote in our elections.”
Votes, recess, and conference pushback
Associated Press reporting from late July captured Trump’s public demand that Thune keep the Senate in session until the SAVE America Act passes, or “TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER.” Thune has counted multiple failed floor attempts and asked critics to show a realistic path to 60 votes. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in July that Trump’s “patience is running out” with the Senate leader over the stalled bill; Thune told reporters the administration should help find votes instead of blaming Republicans who lack a majority path.
Several Senate Republicans have publicly backed Thune’s math. Sen. Thom Tillis told Fox News Digital that most of the conference supports the majority leader. Sen. John Cornyn, quoted by AP, warned that staying in session without votes would not change the outcome. A smaller Trump-aligned bloc, including Sen. Mike Lee, has urged holding the chamber through August until the bill advances.
Thune’s near-term priority, per CNN, is keeping the government funded past Sept. 30 while finishing other floor work before the five-week recess scheduled to begin around Aug. 7. Trump and allies continue to push a budget-resolution route that could package election and other priorities on a party-line vote, a path Thune has said also lacks 50 Republican votes in its current form.