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GOP senators rebuke press secretary Karoline Leavitt

politicsJul 24, 2026211,099

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and several Senate Republicans publicly rebuked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt after she told reporters "patience is running out" and demanded the Senate "do its job" over a stalemate on President Trump’s legislative priorities, primarily the SAVE America Act. Thune pushed back, saying the White House should "get on the phone and get the votes" and that critics should focus on "the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats." Sen. Thom Tillis mocked the 28-year-old Leavitt, saying anyone in the White House who doubts Thune "isn't qualified for their job." Sen. Susan Collins said Thune "enjoys well-deserved support from the caucus." Politico quoted Sen. John Cornyn calling the idea that Thune can command conference votes "a fantasy," and Sen. John Kennedy told Politico, "John can’t put a gun to people’s heads and make them vote a particular way." The exchanges reflect mounting tensions between Senate GOP leadership and the White House and leave the White House facing a GOP backlash that could complicate efforts to secure votes for the SAVE America Act.

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