By President Donald Trump is escalating pressure on Senate Republicans to advance one of his top election reform priorities, calling for the immediate dismissal of Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough after she ruled that the SAVE America Act does not qualify for passage under the Senate’s budget reconciliation process.
In a Truth Social post Monday, Trump accused MacDonough of bias against Republicans and argued that her rulings are obstructing legislation supported by the GOP majority.
“Senate Majority Leader John Thune should immediately fire the Parliamentarian, who treats Republicans, and everything that they stand for, horribly!” Trump wrote.
Trump tied MacDonough to previous Democratic leadership, adding: “She was put there by then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Barack Hussein Obama, need I say more? She is a nasty holdover from Mitch McConnell (A man who has proven to be very disloyal to John Thune!), who decided to keep her because he loved giving Trillions of Dollars to the Democrats…”
The president specifically pointed to a recent ruling involving the SAVE America Act, a Republican-backed proposal that would require documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote and photo identification for voting in federal elections.
“Just the other night, as an example, she ruled against us on a proposal that would have easily been approved, and should have been, by anyone else,” Trump said. “We have every right to change her, and should do so, IMMEDIATELY. As long as she’s there, we will never get our desperately needed, SAVE AMERICA ACT, approved, and put into full force and effect!”
MacDonough has served as Senate Parliamentarian since 2012, when she was appointed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, explained The Hill. The parliamentarian’s role is officially nonpartisan and centers on advising senators about chamber rules and procedures, including determining whether legislative provisions comply with the Byrd Rule governing budget reconciliation.
Reconciliation allows certain legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority vote instead of the 60 votes normally required to overcome a filibuster. MacDonough recently determined that provisions tied to the SAVE America Act could not be included in a reconciliation package because they did not meet the chamber’s procedural requirements.
The dispute marks the latest clash between Trump and Senate institutional norms. The president and his allies have previously criticized MacDonough for rulings that blocked other Republican priorities, including proposals related to immigration enforcement and funding requests favored by the administration.
For his part, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has resisted calls to remove, or even overrule, the parliamentarian. Thune has previously warned that disregarding the parliamentarian’s guidance on reconciliation could effectively weaken or eliminate longstanding Senate procedures, including protections associated with the legislative filibuster.
The controversy comes as Republicans continue searching for a path forward on election-related legislation. A recent effort to attach the SAVE America Act to a broader immigration funding package fell short in the Senate, failing on a 48-50 vote after several Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.
Supporters of Trump’s position argue that Republican voters elected a GOP majority to enact border security measures, election reforms and other priorities, and contend that procedural rulings should not stand in the way of those objectives. Critics counter that the parliamentarian serves as an essential safeguard to ensure Senate rules are applied consistently regardless of which party controls the chamber.
As of Tuesday, Senate Republican leaders had given no indication that MacDonough would be removed.
[Read More: Trump Stands Firm On Immigration]
