Trump Tears Into Senate GOP for Playing 'Soft' While Dems Champ at the Bit to Seize Permanent Power
President Donald Trump accused Senate Republicans on Wednesday of playing “soft” and warned that time is running out for changes in the upper chamber of Congress to stave off a Democratic power grab.
In particular, Trump demanded the GOP majority eliminate the filibuster that’s keeping the SAVE America Act from passing, and replace the body’s parliamentarian — a key post that makes decisions about rules of procedure.
And his language was characteristically blunt when it came to Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who has held the job since the first Obama administration.
“Shockingly, Republicans have kept the very important position of ‘Parliamentarian’ in the hands of a woman, Elizabeth MacDonough, who was appointed, long ago, by Barack Hussein Obama and a vicious Lunatic known as Senator Harry Reid, who ran the Senate for the Dumocrats with an ‘iron fist,'” Trump wrote.
“Over the years, she has been brutal to Republicans, but not so to the Dumocrats — So why has she not been replaced? There are many fair people who would be qualified for that vital job.”
𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗝. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝟱.𝟮𝟬.𝟮𝟲 𝟭𝟭:𝟭𝟯 𝗔𝗠 𝗘𝗦𝗧 pic.twitter.com/Mp6jJwyF7p
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) May 20, 2026
“The Republicans play a very soft game compared to the Dumocrats. It is their single biggest disadvantage in politics. The Dumocrats cheat, lie, and steal, especially when it comes to Votes in Elections, but stick together, whereas the Republicans allow the Elizabeth MacDonoughs of the World to stay in power, and brutalize us. We need THE SAVE AMERICA ACT passed, and NOW,” Trump added.
The parliamentarian is hired by the Senate secretary, who is “chosen by and reports to the Senate majority leader,” according to Ballotpedia. As Trump wrote, MacDonough assumed the position in 2012 when the now-deceased Democrat Harry Reid was majority leader. Given Reid’s well-earned reputation for relentless, hardball politics, it’s unlikely MacDonough could have gotten or retained the job without Reid’s blessing.
One job of the parliamentarian is ruling on whether legislation requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, or if a process called “budget reconciliation” could be used, meaning it could be passed with only a majority vote.
GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana argued from the Senate floor in March that Republicans should put the SAVE America Act in a budget reconciliation package, so MacDonough has to rule on the matter.
The bill would require Americans to show proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and to present photo ID when voting. It would also place limits on mail-in voting, but would still allow it for those who are disabled, serving in the military, or traveling out of their home state.
Last summer, MacDonough prevented Republicans from including limits to Medicaid and Medicare funding for illegal immigrants in the Big Beautiful Bill.
Now-deceased Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk responded to her ruling, posting on X, “Elizabeth McDonough stopped the Senate bill from blocking illegals from getting Medicaid. [An] unelected Senate staffer is thwarting the will of 75 million people who voted to make sure foreign alien invaders aren’t getting taxpayer benefits. This is a red line. The Senate needs to CHANGE THE RULES, fire her, or find a solution.”
🚨🚨
Elizabeth McDonough stopped the Senate bill from blocking illegals from getting Medicaid
A unelected Senate staffer is thwarting the will of 75 million people who voted to make sure foreign alien invaders aren’t getting taxpayer benefits
This is a red line.
The Senate…
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 30, 2025
The Hill reported that MacDonough ruled over the weekend against $1 billion in security funding for the president’s new White House ballroom being included in a budget reconciliation bill for the Department of Homeland Security. The project is otherwise being funded by private donations.
Reporter: If Congress doesn’t approve the $1B in security funding for the White House ballroom. Will you go back to your donors and ask them for that money?
President Trump: “Well, this is money for the whole premise, including the East Wing… It’s larger because they wanted… pic.twitter.com/OIEtYj6HI6
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) May 19, 2026
Trump continued with his Wednesday Truth Social post, writing, “And, likewise, kill the Filibuster, which would give us everything! If we don’t pass at least one of these two provisions quickly, you will never see another Republican President again. The Dumocrats will end up with 2 additional States, D.C. and Puerto Rico, and all that entails, including 4 Senators, many Congressmen, and many additional Electoral Votes, and they will also get their dream of a packed United States Supreme Court with their most favorite number — 21 Justices.”
“The Dumocrats will eliminate the Filibuster on the First Day that they get an opportunity to do so. The Republicans aren’t doing it because they say the Dumocrats will never do it, but the Republicans are WRONG. Get smart and tough Republicans, or you’ll all be looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible!” the president said.
Trump’s post didn’t mention it, but recent history supports his argument that Democrats would do away with the filibuster if they could.
During the Biden administration, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona’s Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema helped Republicans defeat Democratic efforts to gut the filibuster.
Neither Manchin nor Sinema is in the Senate anymore.
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