John Thune called 'man who's had it with Trump' as he bucks president: 'I'm not a big fan'

As Donald Trump faces what appears to be a sustained decline in polling, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has emerged as an increasingly vocal critic of the president, marking a notable shift in the Republican leadership's willingness to publicly diverge from Trump on key issues.

According to Axios reporting, Thune has broken ranks with Trump on a series of recent controversies, demonstrating what Mike Zapler of Axios characterized as the sign of "a man who's had it with President Trump."
The latest friction surfaced Tuesday when Thune gave a thumbs down to Trump's nomination of controversial Bill Pulte to replace outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Pulte, who is serving as the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), has drawn criticism for using his position to target the president's political enemies.
"We don't need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there," Thune told reporters, warning that if the White House insists on Pulte, "he's got a lengthy road ahead of him" in the confirmation process.
The Senate majority leader's resistance extends well beyond personnel disputes. He has repeatedly clashed with Trump on signature initiatives in recent weeks, the Axios report notes.
On Trump's proposed $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund—which critics, including many Senate Republicans, argued could compensate Capitol rioters from the January 6 attack—Thune was blunt. "I'm not a big fan," he said. "I don't see a purpose for it," adding the proposal "doesn't pass the smell test."
According to Axios, Thune also resisted Trump's demand to remove the Senate parliamentarian after she ruled that funding for Trump's proposed ballroom could not be included in an immigration enforcement bill. Instead of backing the president's call to fire her, Thune argued the real issue was the vote count—and has repeatedly opposed Trump's push to eliminate the filibuster.
Notably, Thune publicly sided with his colleague Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) after Trump abruptly endorsed scandal-plagued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas GOP Senate primary, a move that reportedly blindsided the Senate leader who had spent months urging Trump to support Cornyn.
"None of us controls what the president does. He made his decision about that. That doesn't change the way I feel. I will certainly continue to be supportive of Sen. Cornyn," Thune told reporters—a statement that carried weight as Cornyn subsequently lost the race decisively.
Zapler of Axios observed that Thune has carefully calibrated his resistance, maintaining public deference to Trump while taking subtle but unmistakable stands against the president's agenda. "I think the president has overwhelming support among Republicans across the country," Thune said Tuesday. "We continue to listen to his advice and counsel and do everything we can to help the country succeed."
The performance reflects what observers characterize as measured pushback. "Thune isn't staging a revolt," Axios noted, "but his understated resistance speaks volumes."