Trump Is Pressuring John Thune to Fire the Parliamentarian Over Ballroom Funding

President Donald Trump urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to remove the Senate parliamentarian after she determined that Republicans could not include funding for the president’s ballroom in a budget bill, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Trump called Thune on Monday to express his discontent with the decision, as reported by Semafor.

Although Trump has pledged to construct the ballroom using private donations, Republicans are seeking to secure $1 billion in Secret Service funding in their filibuster-proof legislation, with $220 million earmarked for the East Wing project. Elizabeth MacDonough, the nonpartisan parliamentarian responsible for Senate rules, concluded on Saturday that the provision did not comply with the Byrd Rule, which prohibits non-budgetary items from passing with a simple majority.

Republicans stated their intention to revise the proposal in order to incorporate the ballroom into the bill. Thune declined to confirm whether Trump had instructed him to dismiss MacDonough, stating that he does not disclose private conversations and asserting that he would not comply with such a request.

When asked if he would consider firing MacDonough, Thune responded, “No.” He emphasized that disagreements with the parliamentarian are common during the reconciliation process and declined to discuss further details. A White House official declined to comment on the alleged conversation between Trump and Thune.

MacDonough did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republicans are hopeful for favorable rulings from MacDonough in the near future to proceed with votes on the package, which includes $72 billion for Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Thune noted that discussions with the parliamentarian involve a give-and-take process to address different viewpoints and strategies.

In a similar situation last year, Trump’s allies had urged Thune to dismiss MacDonough when she initially removed multiple Medicaid provisions from the president’s tax bill during the reconciliation process. Thune had maintained his stance at that time, reiterating to reporters that he would not intervene or fire MacDonough.