Published by TrenBuzz.com | June 9, 2026 | BREAKING
Key Points at a Glance – Trump Demands Thune Fire Senate Parliamentarian
- Trump posted June 8 demanding Thune “IMMEDIATELY FIRE” Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough.
- Trump called MacDonough a “Radical Left Lunatic” and “nasty holdover” appointed by Harry Reid in 2012.
- Thune rejected the demand in three sentences: “Parliamentarian rulings break both ways. You lose a few, you win a few. That’s a hard job.”
- MacDonough blocked the SAVE America Act from the immigration reconciliation bill under the Byrd Rule.
- This is Trump’s third demand to fire MacDonough in six weeks after she also blocked White House ballroom funding.
- Trump also attacked Mitch McConnell for allowing MacDonough to stay in her role in 2014.
Donald Trump called out John Thune by name. Publicly. Loudly. On Truth Social. And Thune said no.
“Senate Majority Leader John Thune should immediately fire the parliamentarian, who treats Republicans and everything they stand for horribly!” Trump posted on Truth Social, arguing that she is an obstacle to enacting the SAVE America Act. “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!” Trump wrote.
Thune Refuses and Defends MacDonough
“Parliamentarian rulings break both ways. You lose a few, you win a few. That’s been true when the Democrats have been in the majority too. That’s a hard job. It’s a very specific skill set. And you need somebody that is going to be a fair referee,” Thune said when asked about Trump’s demand.
What MacDonough Actually Ruled On
The escalation follows MacDonough‘s enforcement of the Byrd Rule, which barred Republicans from bypassing a Democratic filibuster by attaching the non-budgetary voting restrictions to a fast-track, simple-majority reconciliation package. The Byrd Rule is designed to prevent legislation unrelated to the federal budget from passing through reconciliation with a simple majority vote.
Why Trump Also Attacked McConnell
Trump’s post also targeted Senator Mitch McConnell, describing him as “very disloyal” to Thune and claiming McConnell allowed MacDonough to remain in her position to direct “trillions of dollars to the Democrats.” Trump has rarely attacked McConnell during his second term, making this public strike notable.
MacDonough was appointed Senate parliamentarian in 2012 by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. She was the first female parliamentarian in the chamber and has since served in the role under both Democratic and Republican presidencies.
Thune has now said no to Trump on the parliamentarian three times in six weeks. That is a quiet form of independence that has not gone unnoticed on Capitol Hill, and not gone unpunished in Trump’s Truth Social feed.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational and news reporting purposes only. All quotes and facts are sourced from The Hill, Mediaite, Townhall, The Washington Times, OAN, The Kenya Times, and Punchbowl News as of June 8, 2026. TrenBuzz.com does not represent any government or legislative body. Readers are encouraged to follow credible news and official Congressional sources for real-time updates.