John Thune REFUSES President Trump’s Request to Cancel August Recess & Get His Nominees Confirmed

In defiance of President Trump’s call to cancel August Recess, Senate Leader John Thune is now refusing to do so.

While Thune reportedly plans to keep Senators for a “few days” in August, he will not cancel the entire month-long break in order to get President Trump’s nominees confirmed.

Journalist Andrew Desiderio of Punchbowl News reported:

At the same time, Trump & his closest allies are prodding Thune to keep the Senate in session well into August to confirm noms

While Thune will keep them here for a few days into the recess, what Trump is calling for (scrapping recess) won’t happen

Thune/R’s want to sell OBBB

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) July 29, 2025

President Trump recently demanded that Thune call off the Senate’s traditional break in August to make progress on the backlog of over 100 nominations that have yet to be confirmed.

While Thune initially said he would consider it, he now appears to be backtracking.

The Senate is set to break on August 1st, but Thune is threatening to keep Senators there through the weekend to get (some) nominees confirmed.

Wow, heavy threat!

Politico has more:

Senate Republicans are also under pressure from Trump to confirm more of his nominees before heading home for recess. Thune has warned his members to prepare to vote at least through this weekend after the president urged senators to stay in Washington through August to wrap up the work, though many lawmakers aren’t pleased with that idea. They’re eager, instead, to get back to their home states, especially as they look to counter Democratic messaging against the freshly passed GOP megabill.

Other Senate Republicans say they’re ready to give Trump what he’s after. Over the weekend, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) repeatedly urged his colleagues to either work through August to advance nominations or cancel all pro-forma sessions over the next month to allow Trump to make recess appointments. “The Senate can’t have it both ways,” Lee said in a post on X.

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley also said he’s on board with the president’s call for the Senate to stick around to vote on nominations through August, writing on X, “Trump needs his administration in place.”

Republicans have typically been unenthused by the idea of recess appointments, though, and it’s unlikely they’d go along with that plan. And while Thune is threatening to keep the Senate in session deeper into August, many lawmakers view it as just that: a threat to get Democrats to cut a deal on nominations to get out of town.

“I think it’s fair to say that we’re going keep the pressure on the Democrats to, you know, stay here until either they cooperate or we’re just going to grind it out and do it the old fashioned way,” Thune told POLITICO.

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This is infuriating, especially seeing how both the House and Senate plan to block President Trump from making recess appointments.

Rep. Thomas Massie explained how it’s done:

During August recess, Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune plan to call the House and Senate into session every four or five days, with practically no one there, for the sole purpose of preventing Trump from making recess appointments. Here was today’s House “pro-forma” session: pic.twitter.com/sK1tZTCdYQ

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 25, 2025

So, not only is Thune refusing to keep the Senate there until every nominee is confirmed.

But, he is also refusing to allow President Trump to make any temporary appointments while the Senate is on break.

🚨 BREAKING: Senate Leader John Thune REFUSES to cancel August recess despite Trump’s plea to clear 100+ nominees (as well as leaving 50 Federal Judge positions open).

Thune's current plan is to extend session "a few days."

Worse, he’ll gavel in every few days to BLOCK Trump… pic.twitter.com/gKOf3I2sK8

— Publius (@OcrazioCornPop) July 29, 2025

BREAKING: Senate Leader John Thune REFUSES to cancel August recess despite Trump’s plea to clear 100+ nominees (as well as leaving 50 Federal Judge positions open).

Thune’s current plan is to extend session “a few days.”

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Worse, he’ll gavel in every few days to BLOCK Trump from any recess appointments!

The Senate will be on “recess” for approximately 30 days! WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE FOR @LeaderJohnThune?

Even worse, Thune has the gall to blame Democrats for not getting President Trump’s nominations through fast enough.

Watch this:

.@POTUS is the only president on record to be denied a voice vote or unanimous consent confirmation for any of his civilian nominees.

I’m hoping that Senate Democrats will work with us so that we can start getting folks – many of them with bipartisan support – into their… pic.twitter.com/fwoHs5CyVp

— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) July 29, 2025

I’m sorry, Leader Thune, but you’re part of the problem.

It’s not just Democrats getting in the way of confirming President Trump’s nominees.

Stop playing games!

These folks agree:

But it’s you causing this. Allow Trump recess appointments.

We see you, Thune.

— Believer in Truth, Justice and Freedom (@LagerthaMuadDib) July 29, 2025

Time to play hardball Senator. Either cancel August vacation and work to get these approved, or go into a full recess and stay out so that @POTUS can make recess appoints. Anything less, and you’ve just handed the minority control they neither received electorally, or deserve!

— MAST (@Civilitas1776) July 29, 2025

Allow recess appointments and stop playing games

— Jeff Moll (@bigjeffm) July 29, 2025

Cancel the vacation. Complete the nominations.

— MusicalComposer (@MusicalComposr) July 29, 2025

One last thing: keep in mind that it’s your tax dollars funding the Senate’s vacation.

But hey, on the bright side, I guess Sen. Fetterman finally gets to go on his beach trip with his family.