Will Donald Trump issue a statement about explicitly calling for John Thune to resign, step down, be replaced, or be removed from his position as Senate Majority Leader before Jan 1, 2027?

- [2026-06-10] Punchbowl News reported Trump was increasingly sidelining Thune on Capitol Hill issues, but noted aside from minor jabs here and there, Trump hasn't lashed out at Thune or come close to calling for him to be replaced as leader . (punchbowl.news) - [2026-07-27] Roll Call reported tensions were rising over the filibuster and SAVE America Act, but John Thune has yet to be branded with a derisive nickname from Donald Trump, but the president and his team have turned up the heat on the Senate majority leader , with the outlet judging Thune "safe — for now." (rollcall.com) - [2026-07-28] Axios reported "Thune should not allow the United States Senate to 'leave town' until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER," Trump demanded on Truth Social... Thune has snapped back, reiterating that it is a matter of math , but explicitly noted Trump has not called for Thune's ouster. He even told reporters Monday that their relationship is "fine." But the building anger has fueled widespread speculation in D.C. that the president could eventually go there . (axios.com) - [2026-07-29] Trump, asked by Townhall whether Thune is "still the man for the job," replied "Well, we're gonna find out, and I'll let you know." He separately said on Air Force One that he has "a good relationship with John Thune" and said he had not given any consideration on whether he should be swapped out... "I haven't even thought of it." (townhall.com) - [2026-08-07] The Hill reported Donald Trump declined to support Senate GOP leader John Thune for a second term as Republican leader in the chamber, saying he did not want to discuss the matter in an interview that aired Friday , quoting Trump saying "I get along with him." This is a withholding of endorsement, not a call for resignation/removal. (thehill.com) - [2026-08-02] CNN reported deepening estrangement: Thune told CNN he hadn't spoken to the president in nearly two weeks... Thune instead mostly learns about Trump's latest grenade roiling the GOP agenda or the broadsides directed at the Senate majority leader himself from Truth Social and the media , but no explicit resignation demand was reported. (cnn.com) - [2026-08-07] GOP senators publicly rallied behind Thune amid the friction; Sen. John Kennedy said he's doesn't "know of any movements to replace" Thune even though Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration over his agenda getting bogged down in the Senate , and press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump's refusal to say whether Thune is "still the man for the job" — coupled with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's statement that Trump's "patience is running out" with Thune's job performance — has fueled the appearance that their personal relationship is on shaky ground . (thehill.com) - [2026-09-23] Thune told Axios in an exclusive interview that Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to run for another term as GOP leader, even if Republicans lose the chamber's majority , and said about a possible challenger that you can't "rule anything in or out" when asked if he could face a challenger for the position (note: this quote is from Thune, paraphrased in Axios piece). (axios.com) - [2026-10-03] A new flashpoint emerged unrelated to leadership: Trump "doxed" Sen. Tom Cotton (not Thune) over the Sunshine Protection Act; President Trump on Saturday posted Sen. Tom Cotton's cellphone number and urged supporters to pressure him to support a bill making daylight saving time permanent... "Almost everybody wants 'The Sunshine Protection Act' to pass, except for Tom Cotton," the president wrote . (washingtontimes.com) - [2026-10-06] The Hill noted speculation that the Cotton episode could be positioning for a future leadership race "This might be a way for him to s‐‐‐ on Cotton's leadership race," the source said, speculating that Cotton could make a bid for leader if Thune decides to retire after this year's election — implying any leadership change is still framed around a hypothetical future Thune retirement, not an active Trump push to remove him. (yahoo.com) - [2026-10-06] Despite friction on policy (daylight saving time), reporting shows active Trump-Thune cooperation on campaign strategy: With control of the Senate on the line, John Thune and Donald Trump are strategizing the deployment of a $400 million campaign fund to defend vulnerable seats and target Democratic pickups , including joint targeting of Minnesota, Michigan and New Hampshire. (streamlinefeed.co.ke, citing Politico) - [2026-10-07] The Hill reported continued intra-GOP speculation about succession, but no Trump statement calling for Thune's removal; senators who represent northern states and those on the western edges of the Central and Mountain time zones are not fans of the idea, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) . (yahoo.com) BOTTOM LINE: As of October 9, 2026, Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration, withheld endorsement, and publicly mused that "we're going to find out" whether Thune should stay as leader, but has stopped short of an explicit statement calling for Thune to resign, step down, be replaced, or be removed — and recent coverage (late Sept–early Oct 2026) actually shows active Trump-Thune coordination on midterm campaign strategy, suggesting the relationship, while tense, has not crossed into an explicit removal demand. NOT FOUND: No instance was found of Trump explicitly and directly demanding Thune's resignation, removal, or replacement by name (as opposed to withholding endorsement or questioning his future); no Truth Social post or on-record quote meeting the strict resolution bar was located as of October 9, 2026.

- [2021-12-23] Trump has an established pattern of publicly attacking Thune without ever reaching the resign/replace threshold: after Thune declined to challenge 2020 election results, Trump tweeted "Republicans in the Senate so quickly forget... RINO John Thune, 'Mitch's boy', should just let it play out. South Dakota doesn't like weakness. He will be primaried in 2022, political career over!!!" This was a threat of primary defeat, not an explicit call for him to resign/step down from a leadership post (Thune was Whip, not Leader, at the time). - [2017-11-26] Reference-class precedent with McConnell (same Majority Leader role under Trump) shows Trump has crossed this threshold before for a different person: Trump called on Mitch McConnell to resign as Senate Minority Leader for supporting Biden's infrastructure bill, saying "That guy should resign as the leader." This shows Trump is willing to explicitly use "resign"/"step down" language against a sitting Senate GOP leader when sufficiently angered. - [2017-08-04] Trump also implicitly threatened McConnell's leadership post as Majority Leader in his first term, raising the possibility of McConnell resigning his post if McConnell failed to get Trump's agenda through the Senate, saying "If he doesn't get repeal and replace... done... then you can ask me that question." This was conditional/hypothetical rather than a direct call, illustrating Trump often hints rather than explicitly demands removal. - [2026-07-27] Current cycle: as of late July 2026, despite escalating friction, Trump had not yet used resign/replace language against Thune: "John Thune has yet to be branded with a derisive nickname from Donald Trump, but the president and his team have turned up the heat on the Senate majority leader." - [2026-07-29] Trump has publicly questioned Thune's fitness for the job but stopped short of calling for his removal: Trump is openly questioning whether Thune is the man for the job... "Well, we're gonna find out," Trump said. "I'll let you know." - [2026-07-27] Analysts view a Trump-driven ouster as structurally unlikely given Senate norms: "the majority leader's responsibilities to enforce the Senate's rules and procedures... can be viewed by some as archaic and inefficient. Thus, creating the opportunity for the president to find ample opportunities to criticize the Senate and its leaders," Hoagland said. "Sen. Thune is protecting the prerogatives and independence of the Senate, just as the Constitution requires." A Roll Call source also stated bluntly that "the president should not and cannot be successful with his attacks on Thune," adding Thune will survive because the Senate itself must and will survive. - [2026-08-02] By August, tensions had deepened to a "showdown" framing but still without Trump explicitly demanding Thune step down; coverage characterized it as Trump "splintering unity" rather than issuing a removal demand. - [2026-10-06] Most recent reporting (within past month) shows continued coolness/distance rather than escalation to explicit resign calls: President Trump's sporadic contact with Senate Majority Leader John Thune is rattling Republicans... Thune told CNN he had not spoken with Trump in nearly two weeks... "With me, it's more on an as-needed basis," Thune said. - [2026-10-04] Grassroots/MAGA-media pressure for Thune's removal exists but comes from commentators/forum users, not Trump himself: a conservative blog's comment section and post explicitly called to "FIRE Thune" and replace him with a Trump-chosen MAGA senator, illustrating base pressure without Trump's own explicit statement. - [2025-11-14 to 2026-05] Base-rate within the current Congress: Republican lawmakers (not Trump) have explicitly called for Thune's removal — e.g., Rep. John Rose (R-TN) said "We should call on Thune to step aside," Rose told Newsmax host Todd Starnes — showing the "call for removal" event has already occurred in the broader GOP ecosystem, but the question specifically requires Trump himself to make such a statement. - [2026-07-27] Senate GOP has signaled it would resist Trump pushing Thune out, a factor that may make Trump calculate that an explicit call would be symbolically costly and practically futile: Senate Republicans would draw a line against letting Trump push Thune out of his job or pick a replacement... "I think who our leader is, there's a real sense that that belongs to us." BOTTOM LINE: Trump has crossed this exact threshold before against a different Senate Majority Leader (McConnell, 2021) using explicit "should resign" language, so the behavior is within his established repertoire; however, against Thune specifically he has repeatedly escalated to criticism, freeze-outs, and "questioning whether he's the man for the job" without yet using explicit resign/step-down/replace language even after over four months of documented friction (May–October 2026), and analysts/GOP sources consistently frame an explicit Trump-driven ouster attempt as unlikely to succeed and thus less likely to be pursued outright. NOT FOUND: No instance found of Trump explicitly telling Thune to "resign," "step down," "be replaced," or "be removed" as Senate Majority Leader at any point from 2025 through October 2026; no betting-market or pollster-specific forecast/track record on this exact question was located.

YES means: Donald Trump, in his own words (Truth Social post, on-record quote, rally remarks, etc.), explicitly calls for John Thune to resign, step down, be replaced, or be removed as Senate Majority Leader at any point before Jan 1, 2027. - [2026-06-10] Even as Trump sidelined Thune on FISA and immigration fights, Punchbowl found that aside from minor jabs here and there, Trump hasn't lashed out at Thune or come close to calling for him to be replaced as leader , establishing the baseline the YES case must overcome. (punchbowl.news) - [2026-07-28] Trump has already used explicit imperative language directed at Thune on a related but distinct issue, posting on Truth Social that Thune should "immediately fire the Parliamentarian," Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who Trump said "treats Republicans, and everything that they stand for, horribly!" — showing Trump is already comfortable issuing blunt "should fire" demands aimed at Thune's conduct of the Senate, one short rhetorical step from demanding Thune's own removal. (yahoo.com) - [2026-07-28] Trump allies have begun supplying the removal framing for him: Trump ally Steve Bannon wrote "Thune IS The Problem," in a post on X last week after Thune expressed concerns about Pulte , and influencer Nick Sortor publicly taunted "Grow a spine, Thune!" in reaction to a Trump post — an ecosystem of pressure that Trump himself could escalate into an explicit statement. (yahoo.com) - [2026-07-30] Trump has explicitly put Thune's job status in play rhetorically: asked if Thune is "still the man for the job," "Do you think Senate Majority Leader John Thune... do you think he's still the man for the job?" Trump: "Well, we're going to find out, and I'll let you know." This is the closest Trump has come to threatening removal without crossing the explicit-statement bar, and it remains an open, unresolved threat he could complete at any time before the deadline. (ms.now) - [2026-07-30] White House press secretary (at the time) stated Trump's "patience is running out" with Thune, a proxy signal from the White House itself of where things could head if Thune continues resisting Trump's SAVE America Act and filibuster demands. (ms.now) - [2026-09-23] Thune confirmed to Axios that he plans to run for another term as GOP leader, even if Republicans lose the chamber's majority , meaning a concrete, scheduled flashpoint exists: Senate GOP leadership elections (precedent: the 2024 race was held Nov 13, 2024, before the new Congress convened) are expected to occur in mid-to-late November 2026 — squarely inside the resolution window before Jan 1, 2027 — giving Trump a specific, high-visibility moment to publicly back a rival and explicitly call for Thune to step aside. (axios.com) - [2026-10-06] A GOP source told The Hill that Trump's "doxxing" of Sen. Tom Cotton over the Sunshine Protection Act may be positioning for exactly this scenario, speculating "This might be a way for him to s‑‑‑ on Cotton's leadership race," the source said, speculating that Cotton could make a bid for leader if Thune decides to retire after this year's election — indicating the DC rumor mill already expects a leadership fight to crystallize in this window, which is the most plausible trigger for Trump to go from criticism to an explicit resign/replace demand. (thehill.com, via search snippet) - [2026-10-06] Even amid campaign cooperation, structural estrangement persists: President Donald Trump calls House Speaker Mike Johnson day and night. Senate Majority Leader John Thune sometimes waits weeks for a conversation... Thune told CNN he had not spoken with Trump in nearly two weeks during a critical stretch that included a Cabinet nominee in trouble, the president's agenda faltering, and an Iran funding bill in doubt... "With me, it's more on an as-needed basis," Thune said — a relationship thin enough that a single bad news cycle (e.g., a disappointing midterm result with Thune as leader) could tip Trump into explicit public blame and a removal demand. (gokhshtein.com) - [2026-08-07] Trump has already withheld the thing just short of an explicit ouster call — endorsement for a second leadership term — telling an interviewer he did not want to discuss Thune's future, after which The Hill reported "I do," but he noted he has disagreements with the Senate leader... "I believe strongly in terminating the filibuster, and by the way, getting SAVE America Act approved immediately, and about 400 other things in every hour of every day," the president said — a pattern of repeated non-denials that sets up an easy pivot to an explicit call once a precipitating event (e.g., midterm losses, a failed Thune-led vote) occurs. (thehill.com) - [Historical, 2017-11-26] Trump has crossed this exact threshold against a Senate GOP leader once before, having called on Mitch McConnell to resign as leader over policy disagreements — proof the behavior sits squarely within his established repertoire and is not without precedent even against an incumbent majority leader. - [2026-09-10] Countervailing but telling: at the RNC's first midterm convention, when the crowd booed Thune's absence, Trump told the crowd... not to boo the absent Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), telling them that "John is working hard" — showing Trump still chooses, as of early September, to publicly shield Thune rather than pile on, meaning any YES resolution likely requires a fresh, specific trigger (a bad midterm result or a blocked post-election priority) rather than a continuation of current trends. BOTTOM LINE: The strongest path to YES is not a continuation of current sniping but a concrete, dated trigger already on the calendar — Thune's confirmed intent to seek reelection as GOP leader (reported Sept 23, 2026) colliding with a Senate GOP leadership election expected in mid-to-late November 2026 (precedent: Nov 13, 2024) and/or disappointing Nov. 3 midterm results, either of which could push Trump from his established pattern of "we're going to find out"/withheld-endorsement rhetoric into the kind of explicit "should resign"/"should be replaced" language he has already used once before against a sitting Senate GOP leader (McConnell, 2021). NOT FOUND: No Truth Social post, interview quote, or rally remark in which Trump explicitly uses "resign," "step down," "replaced," or "removed" specifically about Thune's Majority Leader position was located through October 9, 2026; no confirmed date for a 2026 Senate GOP leadership election was found (only historical precedent for timing).

YES means: Donald Trump, in his own words (statement, Truth Social post, interview, or remarks), explicitly calls for John Thune to resign, step down, be replaced, or be removed as Senate Majority Leader before Jan 1, 2027. - [2026-06-10] Punchbowl's earliest tracking of this exact threshold found that even amid sidelining, Trump "hasn't lashed out at Thune or come close to calling for him to be replaced as leader," establishing the baseline distance from the resolution bar months into the dispute (punchbowl.news). - [2026-07-28] Even at the peak of the filibuster/SAVE America Act fight, Trump's own Truth Social language was a procedural demand — "Thune should not allow the United States Senate to 'leave town' until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER" — not resign/removal language (courthousenews.com, thehill.com). - [2026-07-29] When directly asked by Townhall if Thune is "still the man for the job," Trump's answer was deflective — "Well, we're gonna find out, and I'll let you know" — a classic non-committal hedge rather than an explicit call for removal (townhall.com). - [2026-08-02] CNN's deep dive into the "showdown" (the Aug 2 "knifing each other" piece) frames the conflict as Trump "setting him up to be the fall guy" if Democrats win the Senate — a passive blame-shifting strategy, not an active resign demand (cnn.com). - [2026-08-11] The Hill/Yahoo reporting shows Senate Republicans explicitly "rallying" and declaring leadership selection "belongs to us," a structural deterrent: GOP senators have signaled they would not accept Trump dictating Thune's removal, raising the political cost/futility of Trump ever crossing the line (yahoo.com). - [2026-09-23] Axios reported Thune affirmatively plans to run for another leadership term "even if Republicans lose the chamber's majority," a public declaration of intent to stay that Trump has not publicly contradicted with a resign demand as of early October. - [2026-10-06] The newest reporting (Gokhshtein, citing CNN) shows the relationship as one of "freeze-out" and sporadic contact — Thune "had not spoken with Trump in nearly two weeks" — rather than escalating public attacks; this is estrangement/distance, a lower-intensity dynamic than an explicit ouster demand. - [2026-10-06] Despite the freeze-out framing, the same reporting shows substantive cooperation continuing: Thune is actively lobbying Trump for more midterm campaign funding and Trump is weighing deployment of a $400 million war chest in Minnesota, Michigan and New Hampshire — inconsistent with an imminent explicit break (gokhshtein.com, coloradopolitics.com). - [2026-10-06] The Hill's Cotton-feud reporting frames any successor talk as conditional on "Thune decides to retire after this year's election" — i.e., even GOP insiders frame leadership change as a future voluntary Thune retirement scenario, not an active Trump-driven removal campaign (thehill.com). - [2026-10-04] Grassroots MAGA pressure ("FIRETHUNE…") exists only in comment sections and blogs (e.g., the Conservative Treehouse open thread), explicitly distinct from any statement by Trump himself, underscoring that the base's appetite for ouster has not translated into Trump's own explicit words. - Historical base rate: in Trump's first term, his explicit "should resign" language against a Senate GOP leader (McConnell, 2017) came only after a legislative defeat (ACA repeal failure) that personally embarrassed him; Thune has so far avoided a comparably stark, attributable legislative failure, reducing the trigger conditions for an analogous explicit statement. - With sub-three-month runway to Jan 1, 2027 and the midterm election (Nov 3, 2026) likely to dominate Trump's incentive to maintain outward unity with Senate GOP leadership through Election Day, the window in which Trump might vent frustration with explicit resign language is compressed to the post-election lame-duck period only. BOTTOM LINE: Despite nearly five months of documented, escalating Trump-Thune friction (freeze-outs, withheld endorsement, "we're gonna find out" hedging), Trump has consistently stopped short of the specific resign/step-down/replace/remove language the market requires, Senate GOP has signaled resistance to any Trump-driven ouster, and the most recent (Oct 6) reporting shows active cooperation on campaign funding alongside the coolness — all pointing toward continued inertia and a NO resolution absent a new, sharper escalation. NOT FOUND: No Trump statement meeting the strict resign/step-down/replace/remove bar was located through October 9, 2026; no indication of an imminent shift in this pattern in the newest (past-week) coverage reviewed.