Senate Majority Leader John Thune struggled on Fox News to explain how passing the SAVE America Act would have changed the political framework for Republicans.

Asked whether having enough votes to pass the legislation would have had a substantial effect in the current races, Thune quickly pivoted to other issues, pointing to affordability and diesel prices in the Midwest. He also acknowledged that the situation in Iran has overshadowed just about everything else.

"Well, right now the races are, it's more about, it is affordability issues, it's the price of diesel in places like Iowa and Kansas and Nebraska and the Midwest, Minnesota," he said. "And so I think that's the issue, and what's happening in Iran has sort of trumped everything else that's going on."

Thune then shifted from what the legislation might have accomplished to how Republicans can use its failure on the campaign trail. He argued that Democrats have voted against the measure every time it has come before the Senate and said that gives Republican candidates an issue to use against their opponents.

Thune characterized the SAVE America Act as having broad public support, calling it an “80% issue” with voters. But rather than explaining how actually passing the bill would have affected voters or the races, his answer essentially boiled down to this: Republicans couldn't get it passed, but they can still campaign against Democrats for voting against it.

"It would have been a grace to pass the Save America Act, but it's a great issue for our candidates to run on, because every Democrat bloc voted against it," he insisted. "We've had it up on the floor now six different times in different variations, and every single Democrat, every single time, on six occasions, has voted against it."

"So I think it's an issue that our candidates can use on the campaign trail, and define their opponents as being against something that's an 80% issue with the American people," he added.

In other words, the legislation may not have become a Republican accomplishment—but Thune hopes its failure can become a Republican talking point. Good luck with that, buddy.

In March, Trump threatened Republicans who don't back the SAVE Act. Voter fraud is extremely rare, but sure, if that's the hill they want to die on, who are we to stop them?