Trump urges House Republican rebels to stop ‘grandstanding’ after meeting with Johnson

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President Trump on Thursday urged House Republicans to unify and stop “grandstanding” after a group of hard-line conservatives brought most House activity to a halt this week over the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act.

Trump’s post came shortly after a Thursday afternoon meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who had been searching for a way to break the legislative impasse. It also came a day after he scrapped a signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill over frustration that Congress hasn’t passed the SAVE America Act.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and other conservatives said they would oppose any procedural rules, effectively blocking debate and a final vote on legislation, unless the Senate passed the SAVE America Act. The bill, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and the presentation of an ID to cast a ballot, has stalled in the upper chamber over Democratic opposition.

“House Republicans should unify, and stop voting down ‘Rules’ or, threatening to do so. Giving power to the Radical Left Dumocrats in the House to control what goes up for a Vote will make our outcomes worse, not better. No more grandstanding, please! They are the Dumocrats, and we can’t let them WIN!” Trump wrote in the post.

Johnson told reporters that his meeting with Trump was “productive” and that they’re on the “same page.”

“He wants to ensure that we stop any blockade in the House. Congress has work to do, and that’s what we’re going to do, and so we’ll be moving forward on all of that,” Johnson said, without specifying if he’s come to an agreement with hard-liners on the SAVE America Act.

He added, “The majority party should never be voting down rules.”

“We got to be able to move forward on legislation and continue the America First agenda. And so we’re happy to do that. It’s another day at the office. You know this is the process in an era with small margins, but we’ll get the job done,” Johnson said.

Trump has repeatedly called for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, and his refusal to sign the housing bill Wednesday was just his latest missive on the issue.

Johnson said after his meeting that he is going to transmit the housing bill to the White House.

Tensions over the SAVE America Act are still flaring in the House, though. Luna wrote Thursday on the social platform X after Johnson’s meeting with Trump that she submitted an amendment to the House Rules Committee to attach the SAVE America Act to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2027.

“This is how to get my vote on a rule. But I am one of MANY,” Luna wrote.

Even if Republicans attach the SAVE America Act to must-pass legislation, it will still need to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, which will require some Democratic support.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, previously said he’d be a “little more amenable” to supporting a procedural rule if he sees movement on other bills — such as a GOP border bill or a stock trading ban — that have also been his top priorities.

“If I see movement on something else, I might give on the other. If we can’t get SAVE America done, but we can get like a vote on HR 2 … which we’re supposed to get, by the way, if we can get some movement on stock trading, which I’ve not seeing movement on, these are all things I want to see movement on. Well, now I’m a little more amenable,” Roy said.

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Anna Paulina Luna

Chip Roy

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