This is a reported paraphrase of John Thune's statement rather than a direct quote, making it difficult to verify the exact wording. Without access to the original source or transcript from 2026-05-01, and given that hngn.com is not a primary source, the factual accuracy of this specific characterization cannot be reliably confirmed.

No verifiable record exists of Senator John Thune making this statement on May 1, 2026, and the date falls beyond the model's knowledge cutoff, making the claim unsubstantiated.

The statement references a future date (May 1, 2026) which cannot be verified as factual since it hasn't occurred yet.