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Trump Sets His Sights on a Midterms Scapegoat: John Thune
John McCormack /

Trump Sets His Sights on a Midterms Scapegoat: John Thune

Amid the prospect of a blue wave, the president is directing his ire at the GOP Senate majority leader for failing to pass the SAVE Act.
A man in a dark suit with a red tie walks through an ornate hallway with classical columns and gold-framed artwork, accompanied by several other men in business suits.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and President Donald Trump arrive at the U.S. Capitol on June 24, 2026. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

With three months left to campaign before the 2026 midterm elections, President Donald Trump is training his fire on a surprising target: Senate Republicans.

The Republican president is calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to cancel the August recess—a move that would help Democrats by keeping three incumbent Republicans facing difficult reelections off the campaign trail—in order to try to accomplish something that’s unachievable.

John McCormack is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2023, he was Washington correspondent at National Review and a senior writer at The Weekly Standard. When John is not reporting on politics and policy, he is probably enjoying life with his wife and daughters in northern Virginia or having fun visiting family in Wisconsin.

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