Republicans brush off Trump demand to oust nonpartisan Senate rulekeeper

Published May 20, 2026 1:50pm ET | Updated May 20, 2026 3:28pm ET



Senate Republicans are shrugging off President Donald Trump’s demands to fire the chamber’s parliamentarian, a nonpartisan official refereeing which provisions of the GOP’s $70 billion immigration enforcement bill violate Senate rules.

Trump made his latest case against Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, accusing her of a liberal bias on Wednesday. The criticism comes as MacDonough has determined that security funding for the White House complex, including the under-construction ballroom, failed to comply with reconciliation rules and would not be able to skirt a filibuster with the rest of the measure.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.