Analysis · Floor speech · beta

John Thune

Republican on Democrat Party Priorities (Executive Session) 2026-07-20

877 words · 50 sentences · 60 clauses

Statement grade

B–

Average 72 / 100

A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.

Claims 57%Procedure 8%Positioning 35%Reasoning 0%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Mr. President, Claims · 23 wordsat the beginning of last year, the New York Times took a poll of the American voters, ¹and the headline captures their results. Procedure · 5 wordsThis is what it said: ProcedureClaims · 11 words``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’² Procedure · 20 wordsLet me repeat that, Mr. President. ``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’ That is right.Procedure Claims · 33 wordsA New York Times poll taken weeks after voters rejected Democrats at the ballot box suggested that one of the reasons for Democrats’ loss was that Americans don’t think Democrats share their priorities.³ Procedure · 6 wordsThe story went on to say: ProcedureClaims · 50 wordsBut when the poll asked Americans to identify Democrats’ most important priorities, Americans identified issues like abortion and climate change, among others.⁴ Our Democrat colleagues have found themselves out of power for 18 months now. And we have given them plenty of opportunities to show some evolution--perhaps even moderation--to voters. Positioning · 33 wordsBut as the record shows, Democrats are still in thrall to the far left of their party.Unearned certainty They still have the same priorities that turned voters off from Democrats in the last election.Positioning Mr. President, Positioning · 12 wordsfor starters, radical transgender ideology remains an article of faith among Democrats.Positioning Claims · 47 wordsDemocrats have repeatedly opposed efforts to keep biological men out of women’s sports. And when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously last month that State laws protecting women’s sports are allowable under the plain language of title IX, one Democrat Senator called the ruling unjust. ``Unjust,’’ Mr. President.⁵⁶ Positioning · 23 wordsAs if a young woman working hard all season, only to lose to a man with an inherent biological advantage, is somehow just.Positioning Claims · 15 wordsThe overwhelming majority of Americans believe that biological men should not be playing women’s sports, Positioning · 26 wordsbut that doesn’t seem to matter to Senate Democrats. And their commitment to transgender ideology doesn’t end with supporting the presence of men in women’s sports.Positioning Claims · 39 wordsDemocrats have also tacitly--or not so tacitly--endorsed radical gender transition procedures being performed on minors. Procedures, I might add, with no substantial medical evidence to support them and plenty of reason to believe they are extremely dangerous for children, Positioning · 29 wordsbut apparently Democrats are fine subjecting children to those risks. And of course, Mr. President, Democrats are still proudly pro- abortion. And when I say pro-abortion, I mean pro-abortion.Positioning Claims · 95 wordsHow else do you describe a party that wouldn’t even support legislation to provide medical care to a baby born alive during a failed abortion?⁷ A party that can’t bring itself to support a bill to ensure that a pregnant college student knows that there are resources available to help her finish her degree and have her baby. The party that directed small business COVID relief funds to Planned Parenthood, even though they were legally ineligible.⁸ A party that is doing everything it can to eliminate pregnancy resource centers simply because they won’t recommend abortion. Positioning · 14 wordsAs I said, Democrats are in thrall to the far left of their party, PositioningProcedure · 8 wordsand it is not just on those issues.Procedure Positioning · 14 wordsFar-left activists seem to be the audience for almost everything Democrats do these days.Positioning Claims · 63 wordsTake, for example, Democrats’ two--that is right, two--record-long government shutdowns. Last fall, Democrats shut down the entire Federal Government for a record 43 days to show the far left that they were fighting President Trump.⁹ And while TSA lines snaked outside of airports and Americans were visiting food banks because they had to work without pay, the Democrat leader was quoted as saying: Positioning · 12 wordsBetter, that is, for Democrats seeking the approval of the far left.Positioning Claims · 20 wordsThen earlier this year, Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security because they didn’t want to fund law enforcement.¹⁰ Procedure · 3 wordsThat is right.Procedure Claims · 29 wordsDefunding law enforcement--once a fringe position in their party-- became the official position of the Democrat Party as they tried to completely--completely--defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Positioning · 30 wordsOnce again, it didn’t matter to Democrats whether Americans would be less safe with open borders. Their audience, far-left activists, wanted them to defund border security and immigration enforcement officers, PositioningReasoning · 3 wordsso they did. Procedure · 4 wordsAnd Democrats weren’t done.Procedure Claims · 22 wordsLast week, Democrats here in the U.S. Senate blocked the National Defense Authorization Act, the bill that authorizes funding for our military.¹¹ Procedure · 3 wordsThat is right.Procedure Claims · 8 wordsDemocrats voted against authorizing funding for our military. Positioning · 20 wordsIt is a sad day when Democrats are playing politics with everything all the way up to our national security, PositioningProcedure · 6 wordsbut that is where we are.Procedure Positioning · 49 wordsDemocrats have had numerous opportunities in the last year and a half to work with us on things that matter to the American people. And, again and again, they have chosen to follow members of their far-left base, in some cases--see New York City’s mayor--follow them directly into socialism.¹²Positioning Procedure · 3 wordsThat is right.Procedure Claims · 10 wordsSelf-identified Democrat socialists have been winning elections across the country.¹³ Positioning · 17 wordsSo what is next? Will the Democrat Party adopt the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America?Positioning Claims · 18 wordsTo quote the New York Times again, ``Many Americans say the [Democrat] Party does not share their priorities.’’ Positioning · 15 wordsA year and a half later, it is obvious that that is still the case: PositioningUnearned certaintyClaims · 16 wordsmen’s and women’s sports, abortion up until the moment of birth, open borders, defunding law enforcement. Positioning · 12 wordsInstead of moving toward the middle, Democrats are just getting more extreme.Positioning Procedure · 11 wordsI yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.Procedure

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 49

33 of 35 deductions are Signal

Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.

Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “This is what it said:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “Let me repeat that, Mr. President. ``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “That is right.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “The story went on to say:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “But as the record shows, Democrats are still in thrall to the far left of their party.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “They still have the same priorities that turned voters off from Democrats in the last election.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “for starters, radical transgender ideology remains an article of faith among Democrats.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “As if a young woman working hard all season, only to lose to a man with an inherent biological advantage, is somehow just.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “but that doesn’t seem to matter to Senate Democrats.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “And their commitment to transgender ideology doesn’t end with supporting the presence of men in women’s sports.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “but apparently Democrats are fine subjecting children to those risks.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “And of course, Mr. President, Democrats are still proudly pro- abortion.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “And when I say pro-abortion, I mean pro-abortion.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “As I said, Democrats are in thrall to the far left of their party,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “and it is not just on those issues.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Far-left activists seem to be the audience for almost everything Democrats do these days.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Better, that is, for Democrats seeking the approval of the far left.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “That is right.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Once again, it didn’t matter to Democrats whether Americans would be less safe with open borders.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Their audience, far-left activists, wanted them to defund border security and immigration enforcement officers,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “And Democrats weren’t done.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “That is right.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “It is a sad day when Democrats are playing politics with everything all the way up to our national security,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “but that is where we are.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Democrats have had numerous opportunities in the last year and a half to work with us on things that matter to the American people.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “And, again and again, they have chosen to follow members of their far-left base, in some cases--see New York City’s mayor--follow them directly into socialism.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “That is right.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “So what is next?”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Will the Democrat Party adopt the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America?”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “A year and a half later, it is obvious that that is still the case:”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Instead of moving toward the middle, Democrats are just getting more extreme.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I yield the floor.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I suggest the absence of a quorum.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.

Clarity · 94

2 of 35 deductions are Clarity

Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.

Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “as the record shows”The phrase asserts certainty while gesturing at an unspecified record instead of naming a source.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “it is obvious that”The formula asserts that a conclusion is self-evident rather than pointing to a source a reader could check.

Claims · 13

This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.

1“at the beginning of last year, the New York Times took a poll of the American voters”The New York Times conducted a poll of American voters at the beginning of 2025.search
2“``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’”A New York Times poll headline read ‘Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’search
3“A New York Times poll taken weeks after voters rejected Democrats at the ballot box”The New York Times poll was taken weeks after the 2024 election in which Democrats lost.search
4“Americans identified issues like abortion and climate change, among others”In the New York Times poll, Americans identified abortion and climate change among Democrats’ most important priorities.search
5“the Supreme Court ruled unanimously last month that State laws protecting women’s sports are allowable under the plain language of title IX”In June 2026 the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that state laws protecting women’s sports are allowable under Title IX.search
6“one Democrat Senator called the ruling unjust”A Democratic senator described the Supreme Court’s Title IX women’s sports ruling as unjust.search
7“a party that wouldn’t even support legislation to provide medical care to a baby born alive during a failed abortion”Democrats did not support the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would provide medical care to infants born alive during abortions.search
8“The party that directed small business COVID relief funds to Planned Parenthood”Planned Parenthood received Paycheck Protection Program (small business COVID relief) funds despite questions about eligibility.search
9“Democrats shut down the entire Federal Government for a record 43 days”The fall 2025 federal government shutdown lasted a record 43 days.search
10“earlier this year, Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security”In 2026 Democrats blocked DHS funding, resulting in a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.search
11“Last week, Democrats here in the U.S. Senate blocked the National Defense Authorization Act”In mid-July 2026 Senate Democrats blocked passage of the National Defense Authorization Act.search
12“see New York City’s mayor”New York City’s mayor is a self-identified democratic socialist.search
13“Self-identified Democrat socialists have been winning elections across the country”Candidates identifying as democratic socialists have won elections in the United States in recent years.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15