By Saqib S. Qureshi I SCN I Washington
Trump Holds Tense Meeting With GOP Senators as He Pushes Voting Bill
President Donald Trump met with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill on Wednesday in a tense closed-door session, urging lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act, a voting bill that remains stalled in the Senate.
The meeting came after Trump canceled a planned signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing affordability bill, saying he wanted Congress to prioritize his election legislation first. The move surprised several Republican senators, who had hoped to highlight the housing bill as an election-year achievement.
The SAVE America Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and includes other election-related changes championed by Trump. While the bill has cleared the House, it currently lacks enough support to overcome the Senate's 60-vote threshold needed to advance.
According to multiple reports, the meeting became tense as senators also discussed Trump's handling of the Iran conflict. Trump criticized several Republican senators who had supported a Senate war powers resolution aimed at limiting his authority over military action against Iran.
Despite the disagreements, Trump later described the gathering as a "really great meeting." Senate leaders, however, have continued to express skepticism that the voting bill can pass in its current form.
The meeting highlights growing divisions within the Republican Party over legislative priorities, with some lawmakers focused on affordability issues while Trump continues to make election security legislation his top demand.