Users urge JD Vance to replace Thune

Social media users spent May 20 urging Vice President JD Vance to replace Senate Majority Leader John Thune, using X posts to vent frustration with Senate Republican leadership and to press for faster action on legislation tied to President Donald Trump’s agenda. One post addressed Vance directly and asked him to “replace Thune immediately to Save the USA,” according to a post that circulated on X within the last 24 hours. The messages did not reflect any announced change in Senate leadership. As of May 21, the Senate’s official leadership page still lists Thune, a South Dakota Republican, as majority leader, while the White House identifies Vance as vice president. ### What were users actually saying about Vance and Thune? An X post cited in the social briefing read: “@JDVance Please do this immediately. We need you be the Senate Leader... replace Thune immediately to Save the USA.” The post was part of a cluster of messages criticizing Senate leadership and invoking Trump’s “America First” agenda, according to the briefing provided for this story. The online push appeared to focus less on a formal campaign than on dissatisfaction from some MAGA-aligned users over how Senate Republicans have handled priority legislation. (senate.gov) A recent Politico report described tensions inside the GOP over the SAVE America Act and said Thune was under pressure from Republicans unhappy with the Senate’s procedural limits. ### Does JD Vance even hold a Senate role now? JD Vance is vice president of the United States, and the Senate says the vice president serves as president of the Senate. That role includes presiding over the chamber and casting tie-breaking votes, but it is separate from the Senate’s party leadership structure. The White House biography for Vance describes him as vice president in the Trump administration. (politico.com) Vance previously served as a U.S. senator from Ohio, but he no longer holds that Senate seat while serving in the executive branch. ### Why is Thune the target of this criticism? John Thune has served as Senate majority leader since Republicans chose him as their leader after the 2024 election, according to Senate and biographical records. (senate.gov) The Senate’s leadership page lists him as the current Republican leader, and his Senate biography says he serves as majority leader. Thune has also drawn criticism from some Trump supporters over Senate procedure. (whitehouse.gov) In February, The Hill reported that Thune said there were not enough votes to change the filibuster rule to pass Republican election legislation with a simple majority. In March, Politico reported that the fight over the SAVE America Act had pitted Republicans against one another, with Thune trying to manage those demands. (senate.gov) ### Could Vance simply “replace” Thune? The Senate’s official materials distinguish between the vice president’s constitutional role and the Senate party leadership posts held by senators. Thune’s position as majority leader is part of Republican Senate leadership, while Vance’s current office is vice president and president of the Senate. Senate Republican Conference materials say the conference publishes its own rules and resolutions for each Congress. (thehill.com) Those rules govern leadership posts inside the Republican conference, not the vice president’s constitutional office. ### What is concrete as of May 21? As of May 21, there has been no official announcement from the Senate leadership page or the White House indicating that Thune is being replaced or that Vance is seeking the majority leader post. (senate.gov) The episode is, at this point, a burst of online pressure from users criticizing Senate leadership over Trump-aligned legislation. The next verifiable marker will be any statement from Thune, Vance, the Senate Republican Conference or Trump’s team. (republican.senate.gov) For now, the official records still show Thune as majority leader and Vance as vice president and president of the Senate. (senate.gov)