John Thune Absent from Republican Convention Amid Tensions with Trump

John Thune is absent from the speaker lineup for the Republican convention in Dallas this week, amid reports of a possible rift with President Donald Trump as the Senate leader works to maintain the GOP majority. Thune will attend the two-day convention in Texas, which is also hosting a key Senate race, but unlike House Speaker Mike Johnson, he will not address the crowd of Trump supporters at the event. His exclusion follows months of disagreements with the president over policy and campaign strategy. In March, Thune urged Trump to endorse Senator John Cornyn for re-election in Texas, but Trump instead endorsed both Cornyn and his eventual runoff opponent, Ken Paxton, ultimately favoring Paxton in the final weeks of the race. Since then, Trump has criticized Thune over the SAVE America Act, which seeks to establish voter ID requirements, and has called for the termination of the legislative filibuster, publicly expressing discontent with Thune's leadership. In an interview with Punchbowl News, Trump stated that if Thune did not act quickly, he might be the "last Republican president." Trump did not explicitly endorse Thune for another term as the leader of the GOP Senate caucus, mentioning disagreements and emphasizing the need for action on various issues. Thune has attempted to downplay reports of tensions with Trump, but a June meeting between Trump and Senate Republicans was reportedly tense, with discussions failing to yield a path forward for the voter ID bill, which faces opposition from Democrats. In July, Thune and Trump clashed again when Trump called for the cancellation of the August recess to push for votes on the SAVE America Act, prompting Thune to express frustration. Thune is expected to attend a fundraiser for Ken Paxton during the GOP convention, despite having opposed Paxton during the primary. Thune's absence from the convention stage may indicate ongoing tensions with Trump, but his support for Paxton suggests he is still focused on maintaining a GOP Senate majority. Democrats need to gain four seats to take control of the Senate in November. Thune's Senate Leadership Fund PAC previously estimated that hundreds of millions of dollars would be necessary to protect the seat in the general election if Paxton is the nominee. Paxton is currently in a competitive race against Democratic opponent James Talarico, despite controversies surrounding his impeachment attempt and personal issues. Trump noted that there are challenges facing Paxton and other GOP candidates, attributing voter dissatisfaction to Thune and Republican leadership hindering his agenda.