MAGA activist Scott Presler said Thursday he was denied entry to a dinner sponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) during the South Dakota Republican Party’s state convention, prompting a public dispute between Presler and the senator’s staff over who was responsible for blocking his attendance.
The disagreement unfolded during the opening day of the South Dakota Republican Party’s convention in Rapid City, where Thune was scheduled to serve as the keynote speaker at a barbecue dinner sponsored by his office.
Presler, a conservative voter registration activist and supporter of President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act, posted on social media that members of Thune’s staff prevented him from entering the event.
“It was Senate Majority Leader Thune’s staff that would not let me into the dinner,” Presler wrote on X. “Pass the SAVE America Act!”
Thune’s communications director, Ryan Wrasse, denied the allegation, saying the senator’s staff had no role in determining who could attend the event.
“This is a categorical lie to make an embarrassing situation seem better by blaming people who had absolutely nothing to do with this,” Wrasse wrote on X. “John Thune’s staff doesn’t run ticketing checks at the South Dakota GOP dinner doors.”
The dispute comes as tensions continue between some supporters of Trump and Senate Republicans over the fate of the SAVE America Act, legislation backed by the president that would require proof of citizenship and photo identification for voting. The bill has yet to advance in the Senate.
According to the South Dakota Republican Party convention schedule, the Thursday evening event featured a barbecue dinner sponsored by Thune and entertainment following the keynote address, per Trending Politics.
Wrasse said the gathering was closed to the press and had been advertised as such.
However, Presler shared what appeared to be a media credential on social media before arriving at the event.
The dispute extended beyond Presler. South Dakota Searchlight reported it was also denied access despite registering online and receiving confirmation that its media credentials had been approved.
According to the publication, party officials later said they were experiencing issues involving people who registered as media but whom the party did not consider legitimate news outlets.
The convention website includes a section for credentialed media and states that designated areas are available for reporters covering convention events.
Presler posted a video showing himself outside the event as he questioned why he was being denied entry.
“I’m here at the South Dakota State Convention, and they are saying that I can’t come in,” Presler said in the recording. “We’re going to find out very shortly why I am not being allowed.”
The video shows a man approaching Presler and telling him to leave while citing his social media activity.
The exchange quickly circulated online, drawing reactions from conservative activists, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who questioned why Presler had been prevented from attending.
The disagreement also unfolded as delegates considered resolutions urging Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. Another proposed resolution called for rebuking and censuring Thune until the legislation is enacted.
Thune has acknowledged that President Trump could criticize Senate leadership over the pace of the legislation. The Senate is expected to resume voting after the July 4 recess, with debate on the bill anticipated later in July.
Neither Presler nor Thune’s office announced any further action following Thursday’s dispute, and responsibility for the decision to deny Presler entry remains contested.
