John Thune Claims His Relationship With Trump Is Still ‘Strong’ After Tense Spat Over TSA Funding

Screenshot via C-SPAN

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) claimed he and President Donald Trump are still on good terms on Monday after a tense exchange regarding TSA funding.

According to a report from Punchbowl News on Monday, Thune and Trump met privately to discuss ways to end the TSA funding lapse. That lapse has resulted in extensive wait times at airports across the country, with passengers waiting in lines for several hours in the most extreme examples. The Senate has been unable to acquire the 60 votes needed to pass new DHS funding and the SAVE America Act, the Republican-led bill introducing a host of voting regulations. Democrats have opposed DHS funding in light of the high-profile shooting involving immigration agents.

During their private meeting, Thune reportedly proposed a compromise that would pay TSA agents while withholding ICE funding. Trump rejected the idea and urged Republicans to keep pushing Democrats to accept their terms.

In an interview with The Washington Examiner, Thune insisted his relationship with the president was still “strong” after their major disagreement. The report continued:

“In many cases, the incentives are aligned. We’re headed toward the same objective, same goal,” Thune said of his relationship with Trump. “But we have a different process for how to get there – in the Senate, at least.”

“I can do my best, but you got 52 other Republican senators who have their own vote and their own views on a lot of these issues, and so try as I may, I’m not gonna be able to persuade and convince all of them,” he added.

Thune added that although he and Trump have different jobs, they “sort of need each other.”

“Even in this circumstance, if we don’t get what he wants, there’ll be another battle down the road,” Thune told the Examiner, “and we’re going to have to work together.”

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