Senate Majority Leader John Thune got a shoutout from President Donald Trump at the Republican midterm convention, but his MAGA supporters were not so nice.
When the president mentioned the top Republican in the Senate during his keynote address on Wednesday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, the arena, full of Trump supporters, immediately booed.
First, the president lavished praise on House Speaker Mike Johnson. “And John Thune is here from the Senate. Where is John? Where is John?” Trump began, but his supporters erupted in boos throughout the arena.
The booing continued for a long moment as the president stood on stage.
“John is working well. He’s got great opposition,” Trump tried to push back, but some disgruntled MAGA allies continued to shout their opposition.
“He’s got great opposition from the Democrat—Schumer and these guys, they’re terrible,” he said.
It came after Thune was noticeably absent from the speaker lineup released ahead of the convention.
While Johnson, along with other members of Republican leadership, including Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso and NRSC Chair Tim Scott, had speaking slots during the two-day event, Thune did not.
MAGA has been furious with Thune over the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act.
Republicans in the Senate hold a 53-seat majority, but even among Republicans, the president’s priority legislation doesn’t have full support from the caucus, never mind the necessary 60 votes to overcome the filibuster.
Several Senate Republicans also oppose killing the filibuster despite the president repeatedly demanding a change to the rules. The standoff over killing the filibuster and the failure to pass the SAVE America Act has led multiple MAGA influencers to call for Thune to be removed as majority leader, but Senate Republicans have resisted.
The mostly mild-mannered Senate majority leader has also had some testy exchanges with White House officials as tensions have simmered for months.
As MAGA booed at the mention of Thune at the convention, the majority leader did not appear to be seated with other top Republicans watching the president’s speech nearby.
After Thune did not appear on the official speaker list, a source familiar with the matter told the Daily Beast that the South Dakota Republican would be in Dallas for the convention and would have a full schedule while there.
On why he wasn’t on the speaker list, the person familiar claimed he wanted to ensure others who don’t usually get a national platform had an opportunity to speak first.
But Wednesday’s convention was not the first time Thune’s name elicited booing from Trump’s supporters.
During a Sept. 2023 campaign stop by Trump in Rapid City, South Dakota, a veiled jab at Thune, Sen. Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson—none of whom were in attendance—drew boos. It was then-Gov. Kristi Noem who spurred that reaction when she quoted former President Teddy Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech.
“Let me be clear. There are many who choose not to be in the arena,” Noem said. “Many who take the easy path. Who criticize. Who don’t show up for our party, our country or our constitutional rights. They don’t show up for you when it really matters. They didn’t even show up tonight to welcome a former president of the United States to South Dakota.”
Many in the crowd of about 7,000 jeered, the South Dakota Searchlight noted. They also booed earlier that night when each lawmaker appeared on a big screen in videos.
As Trump backers in Dallas voiced their dislike from the convention floor, Trump insisted Thune was working hard to calm the growing opposition.
“He’s going to have great success,” Trump said. “You watch.”
