President Trump told reporters the Senate “has to act” before Democrats assume control, casting the chamber as a roadblock that helped produce the midterm losses.
He pointed to stalled priorities including voting restrictions he packaged as the SAVE America Act, which Senate Majority Leader John Thune said could not pass.
Trump called Thune a “good man” but said Republicans must “get things done,” leaving open whether he will pressure a leadership change.
The lame-duck window is short, and Democratic gains make ambitious confirmations and messaging bills harder even before January.
Senate Republicans are also wrestling with unresolved races in Mississippi and Alaska that could further shrink their ranks.
Allies said Trump wants visible votes to show base voters he is still fighting, even if cloture math remains brutal.
Democrats argued the speech was deflection from a repudiation of Trump’s own agenda rather than a serious legislative plan.
Whatever clears — or fails — in the next weeks will shape how both parties enter a high-stakes divided-government session.
