John Thune Uses Sneaky Tactic to Prevent President Trump From Making Appointments During Senate Break

The Senate has officially gone into August recess. Before leaving, they managed to confirm a few key nominees, including Jeanine Pirro and Emil Bove, but there’s still a massive pile of unconfirmed appointments that will now be pushed off until September.

Frustration is growing because Congress has consistently failed to confirm President Trump’s nominees in a timely manner. And now, Senate GOP leader John Thune is actively blocking the President from making recess appointments by using a tactic known as “pro forma sessions.” Under the Constitution, the President can make temporary appointments while Congress is out of session — bypassing the usual confirmation process. But by briefly gaveling in the Senate every few days, Thune is preventing the recess from technically occurring, thereby blocking Trump from exercising that power.

This maneuver comes after Senate Republicans failed to strike a deal with Democrats. Chuck Schumer reportedly demanded over $1 billion in foreign aid and additional NIH funding in exchange for allowing a few non-controversial Trump nominees through. President Trump rejected the idea outright on Truth Social, calling it political extortion and urging Republicans to stand their ground.

Initially, there were discussions among GOP Senators about options like invoking the “nuclear option” to speed up confirmations or fully adjourning to allow Trump to make recess appointments. But ultimately, Thune shut that idea down on Saturday by locking in pro forma sessions through the month-long break. That decision prevents any temporary Trump appointments from being made during the recess.

This has angered many conservatives, who see Thune as following in the footsteps of Mitch McConnell — someone who previously used similar tactics during Trump’s first term. The sentiment online is turning against Republican leadership seen as blocking the President’s agenda.

Calls to primary Thune and others seen as disloyal are already gaining traction. Conservatives are fed up with what they view as betrayal from within their own party.