Republicans think they’ve cracked the code on who controls the Senate’s top Republican, which they believe explains why President Donald Trump’s legislative effort has failed thus far to combat baseless claims of rampant voter fraud.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act is a voter eligibility bill that would require voters to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, to register to vote. Critics have said the requirement would suppress voter turnout by disenfranchising millions of eligible Americans who lack ready access to such documents.
The House twice passed versions of the SAVE Act, most recently on Feb. 11, with a narrow 218–213 vote. The bill then moved to the Senate, where it faced a certain Democratic filibuster and doesn’t have the 60 votes needed to advance.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has publicly ruled out changing filibuster rules or using a “talking filibuster” workaround to jam it through, despite heavy pressure from Trump and House conservatives. As such, the bill has stalled in the Senate, with no clear path to passage under current rules.
Republicans on social media think they know why. The account @DataRepublican shared a flow chart on X that it claimed explained the stall.
“. @PunchbowlNews would you like to comment on this business model I’ve reversed engineered of how you keep @LeaderJohnThune in line?” the account wrote Tuesday.
Accompanying the post was an image showing corporate sponsors sending $9 million a year to Punchbowl News, which then gets “exclusive access ‘fly out days’ with Thune, who refuses to change filibuster rules, keeping the SAVE Act blocked. The dubious chart claims that then helps corporations by keeping their interests protected.
MAGA fans felt the chart explained why Trump’s voter fraud bid has failed, with PatriotRebel76 calling for the post to be shared “far and wide.”
“Thank you @DataRepublican for showing why @LeaderJohnThune is blocking the SAVE America Act and WHO is paying him to do so! @realDonaldTrump you CANNOT trust Thune!”
MAGA fan Ruth Ann Ward wrote on X, “Hmm is Punchbowl a ‘Pay to Play’ network?
Popular MAGA influencer account Gunther Eagleman wrote on X simply, “This is why.”
The new right-wing theory caught the attention of anti-Trump social media users, who mercilessly mocked MAGA.
The Bulwark’s Will Sommer wrote on X, “Much of the right has become convinced today that Punchbowl News secretly runs Congress and is stopping the Save Act from being passed. Their evidence: this chart arguing John Thune is held under Punchbowl’s control through podcast appearances.”
Andrew Feinberg, White House Correspondent for The Independent, responded sarcastically, “I always assumed this to be the case.”
Senate staffer who goes by Ami wrote on X, “Thune is really just 3 punchbowl reporters in a trench coat.”
Progressive analyst Molly Jong-Fast replied, “I’m obsessed.”
. @PunchbowlNews would you like to comment on this business model I’ve reversed engineered of how you keep @LeaderJohnThune in line? pic.twitter.com/Wl32OL6WPl — DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) March 10, 2026
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