Fox’s Dana Perino Asks GOP Leader John Thune if Trump Is Making His ‘Job Harder?’

Fox News’ Dana Perino asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Thursday if President Donald Trump’s demand that Congress pass the SAVE America Act is complicating efforts to end the ongoing partial government shutdown.

“Is the president making your job harder by keeping up his demands on the voter ID legislation?” inquired Perino during an interview on America’s Newsroom.

Thune replied:

Well, the president’s very passionate, as you know, about that. I heard from him this morning, and obviously he wants to get that done as well. And we’re on that bill right now on the floor. If we get a deal on DHS, we will pivot to that, but we will come back to the SAVE America Act. We’re going to have a vote on that later today on photo ID. I mean, this is one of the key tenets and principles of the SAVE America Act is that people ought to have to show a photo when they go vote. That amendment, or that particular amendment, is going to be voted on today on the floor of the United States Senate. So we’ll put the Democrats on the record. Because they’re all out there saying, “Oh, we support photo ID.” They’re gonna get a chance to really answer the American people on whether they do or they don’t.

“Last night, Fox News put out a poll on voter ID. Who supports it? All voters, 84%. I mean, I don’t know if there’s anything else in the Senate that you could get 84% on. But when they say, when a Democrat like, when I’m on The Five and a Democrat says, ‘But it’s actually not just voter ID, it’s a citizenship bill, a proof of citizenship bill,’ do you reject that?” followed up Perino.

“Well, look, the whole SAVE America Act does include proving citizenship to register, which frankly is common sense, too, and I think the overwhelming majority of Americans support that. But the vote we’re going to have on the floor today is a narrow one. It’s on photo ID. Should you, when you have to go in and vote, should you have produce an ID that’s basically you are who you say you are? And I think that is a huge winner with the American people,” answered Thune. “Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, said, ‘Oh, we’re not opposed to photo ID.’ Well, they’re going to get a chance to, you know, to put their money where their mouth is today.”

Watch above via Fox News.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!