The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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John Thune congratulates himself after GOP disaster — and conservatives absolutely explode

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THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?

SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do)

  • Republicans lose the Senate, and John Thune responds by praising his party’s accomplishments.
  • Furious conservatives say Thune squandered the GOP majority by failing to pass the SAVE America Act.
  • Joe Pags calls him the worst Republican majority leader in history.

LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time)

Imagine you’re the Republican Senate majority leader. Your party has just suffered a devastating election defeat, the Democrats are preparing to take control, and conservatives across America are demanding answers.

What do you do?

If you’re John Thune, apparently you congratulate yourself on a job well done.

No, seriously.

On November 4, with Republicans confronting the loss of their Senate majority, Thune took to social media to celebrate what he described as his party’s accomplishments over the past two years.

“Over the last two years, Senate Republicans have put up a strong record of accomplishment,” he declared.

A strong record of accomplishment?

Well, that’s certainly one interpretation of the evening.

Thune went on to praise Senate Republicans for preventing tax increases, strengthening border security, confirming Trump’s Cabinet nominees and installing conservative judges.

Then came the promise that Republicans would continue resisting the Democrats as they assume control.

All very inspiring, assuming you happened to miss the election returns.

But what really set conservatives off wasn’t simply Thune’s congratulatory tone.

It was what he didn’t mention.

The SAVE America Act.

For months, President Donald Trump and conservative activists demanded passage of the legislation, which would require documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration and photo identification when voting.

The House passed it in February.

The Republican-controlled Senate did not send it to Trump’s desk.

And that failure has become one of the biggest grievances against Thune among the party’s grassroots activists.

The Senate majority leader repeatedly resisted calls to change filibuster procedures, warning that Republicans lacked the votes to overcome Democratic opposition.

In March, Thune said changing the rules wasn’t going to happen. He argued that the Senate’s time was limited and that a prolonged procedural fight could consume weeks or months without producing a victory.

His defenders point out that Republicans held 53 Senate seats, seven short of the 60 generally needed to overcome a legislative filibuster. They also lacked sufficient internal support to change the rules.

But critics see a different failure: a Republican majority that never found a way to deliver a major priority demanded by the party’s president.

And they’re not accepting another explanation about Senate procedure.

Conservative radio host Joe Pags Pagliarulo went straight for the jugular.

“You did nothing. The worst Majority Leader for the Rs in history.”

He followed that with the accusation that has become central to the backlash: Thune’s leadership failed to deliver the SAVE America Act.

And Pags wasn’t alone.

Conservative commentator Sean Davis responded to Thune with a single word:

“Resign.”

Former Virginia delegate Nick Freitas mocked Thune’s timing, suggesting the senator deserved an award for the most tone-deaf response.

Others accused Thune of squandering Republican control of the chamber, failing to advance Trump’s agenda and allowing procedural obstacles to become permanent excuses for inaction.

The anonymous political account DataRepublican also responded directly to Thune, opening with an ominously simple greeting:

“Hello Senator Thune…”

The reaction quickly spread across conservative social media, with demands for Thune to step aside and make room for new leadership.

Now, let’s examine the larger issue.

The SAVE America Act was not some obscure piece of legislation buried in the back of a committee room. It became a defining demand from Trump and many of his supporters.

The proposal would establish national requirements for proving citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and showing identification at the polls.

Supporters argue those safeguards are essential to election integrity. Democrats oppose the legislation, warning that documentation requirements could make voting more difficult for eligible citizens.

The arguments were familiar. So was the Senate’s inability to reach agreement.

And here’s where the criticism of Thune becomes particularly consequential.

Republicans knew the filibuster existed when they entered the majority. They knew Democrats opposed the legislation. They knew Trump considered it a priority.

The unresolved question is whether Republican leaders could have assembled enough support for a procedural alternative, or whether the votes simply weren’t there regardless of who occupied the majority leader’s chair.

That’s a legitimate argument for conservatives to have.

But Thune’s celebratory message landed at precisely the moment many Republican voters were looking for accountability, not another description of legislative accomplishments.

And the political consequences are real.

Thune has confirmed that he intends to seek the Senate Republican leadership position again when Democrats assume control of the chamber.

Think about that.

Conservatives who blame him for failing to deliver the SAVE America Act could soon watch him ask fellow Republican senators to keep him in charge.

He still has substantial support within the Senate Republican conference, and no challenger had publicly emerged as of Wednesday. That makes the furious grassroots reaction especially interesting.

There may be an enormous difference between how Republican senators evaluate their leader and how angry conservative activists evaluate him.

Rush Limbaugh used to remind listeners that Washington Republicans and grassroots conservatives didn’t always see the world through the same pair of glasses.

This looks like one of those moments.

Thune can point to judicial confirmations and legislation passed under his leadership. Those accomplishments are part of the record.

His critics can point to the SAVE America Act sitting unfinished while Democrats prepare to take control.

That’s part of the record, too.

And somewhere in the middle of this political wreckage is a Senate majority leader who apparently decided that the morning after a historic defeat was an excellent opportunity to tell everybody how much his team had accomplished.

There’s a time for a victory lap, Senator.

The morning after losing the majority might not be it.

And speaking of John Thune, our very own Duchess of Dirt is positively swooning over James Woods, who had a few scorching words for Republican leadership. Don’t miss her deliciously wicked take: James Woods congratulates Democrats and ‘lazy, worthless’ loser Republicans who let it happen.

DBS WIRE SOURCES (I have all day)

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