President Donald Trump is headed to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet with Republican senators who have grown increasingly frustrated with his efforts to divert their agenda.
Trump will attend a closed-door Senate GOP luncheon for the first time in more than a year and has pressured senators for months to focus on his proof-of-citizenship voting bill, known as the SAVE America Act, even though it does not have the votes to pass.
Senators say Trump has also blocked them from confirming one of his own nominees, asked them to fund parts of his White House ballroom project, forced them to defend his Iran war and endorsed primary challengers to Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Bill Cassidy, both of whom lost and have since become more critical of the president.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn said Tuesday, "If we’re going to win the midterm elections, we need to get on the same page. We’re not on the same page now, and that I think is dangerous." Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Tuesday, "That would be a big win for us tomorrow."
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who has been increasingly distant from the president, said Tuesday, "it's just not realistic." Thune also said, "Those are just hard realities," and added, "And I think people at some point have to come to grips with that."
Utah Sen. Mike Lee has amassed a large following on X with daily posts urging the Senate to kill the filibuster and pass the bill; several Republican senators, including Cornyn, confronted Lee at a closed-door lunch about his advocacy. Lee posted, "The push to pass the SAVE America Act is not a 'fantasy.'"
Trump could face questions about his social media announcement last week that he was delaying Jay Clayton’s nomination to become national intelligence director, and in the same post said he would not sign a renewal of a key surveillance law unless Senate Republicans attach the SAVE America Act. Republican leaders had hoped to quickly confirm Clayton and circumvent Trump's interim pick, Bill Pulte, who "has no known experience in the field."
Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who leads the Senate Republican lunch every Wednesday, said Trump responded "on the spot" to his invitation and "He's going to be very positive. There's a lot that we can brag about that we've accomplished, and he wants to figure out how we can win November and continue to fulfill his agenda." Scott also sent a letter urging weekly votes on some version of the SAVE America Act and wrote, "We need to show voters that we are listening to them and will fight for their priorities whether any Democrats vote with us or not."
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said there are many questions about the Iran agreement and noted most lawmakers have not been briefed about the deal; Rounds said, "We're there to listen" and added, "we've got to come out with a united team."