You would think a party leader gets a warm welcome at his own convention. Not this time. When President Trump asked, “Where’s John?” during his keynote address Wednesday night in Dallas, the crowd did not cheer. They broke out in a chorus of boos.
This was not a quiet reaction. It was a loud, clear signal from the people in the room. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna had already stated that John Thune should have stayed away, according to the Washington Examiner.
Luna did not hold back her feelings about why Thune is there. She argued that the SAVE America Act, which would demand proof of citizenship for voter registration and require voter ID to cast a ballot, is stalled because Thune says he cannot pass it due to Senate rules.
The Senate leader has a simple excuse for not moving the bill forward. He says the numbers just are not there. He means changing the rules to scrap the filibuster.
Luna calls that excuse a perversion of the system. She stated that the filibuster distorts its intended purpose. She argues that the Democrats want to abolish it anyway, so why hold back?
Thune is not speaking at this convention, but he is in Dallas. A source familiar with his thinking said he declined to speak to let other candidates address the audience. The source confirmed he has a full schedule this week. Still, Luna believes he would not have been welcomed if he took the stage.
President Trump tried to defend his Senate leader during the speech. He said, “No, no, John is working hard. He’s got great opposition. He’s got great opposition from the Democrats.” He went on to call Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his team “terrible.”
Trump stated, “He’s working very hard. He’s going to have great success. You watch.” He promised that the Republican senators would have “great, great success.” Yet the crowd did not buy the defense when he mentioned Thune’s name.
Trump has consistently voiced displeasure with Thune’s job leading the Senate Republican caucus. He is unhappy about the failure to pass the SAVE America Act. Even so, Trump has stated that he personally admires the South Dakotan. The tension between the two was visible on Wednesday night.
The crowd’s booing proved that many voters are done with excuses about the rules.
Thune says he cannot move forward without the votes. Luna says he should not be there if he will not fight. The crowd booed the name of the man who says he cannot win. That is a message no one can ignore.
