Thune elected Senate leader; Top Trump allies backed Rick Scott

by WorldTribune Staff, November 13, 2024 Contract With Our Readers

[Update: Sen. John Thune of South Dakota was elected Senate Majority Leader on Wednesday. No candidate reached a majority during the first secret ballot in the old Senate chamber. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida received the least amount of votes and was knocked out of the race. The second secret ballot was between only Thune and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas Thune received 29 votes and Cornyn got 24 on the second ballot, according to Thune’s office.]

A number of President-elect Donald Trump’s closest advisers, including Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Vivek Ramaswamy, have endorsed Scott.

Thune will take the position in January as long-time leader Sen. Mitch McConnell is stepping down from the leadership role.

Vying for the Senate leader position as Donald Trump starts his second term are Sens. Rick Scott, John Cornyn, and John Thune.

“Thune, McConnell’s top deputy and an establishment favorite, must guide a conference hungry for changes after McConnell’s iron grip. He’s also tasked for guiding President Donald Trump’s agenda through the Senate, advancing his nominees swiftly and moving Trump’s aggressive legislative agenda,” Bradley Jaye wrote for Breitbart News.

“McConnell served for 18 years. It’s unlikely Thune will match that record reign. But Thune, despite his past animosity towards Trump, must navigate the challenges of a much different Senate composed by much more Trump-friendly Republicans,” Jaye added.

Urgent: Support Free Press Foundation

“Without Rick Scott, the entire Trump reform agenda is wobbly,” Kennedy posted on X.

Related: Tucker Carlson slams RINO ‘coup’: ‘What the hell is going on in the U.S. Senate?’, November 10, 2024

McConnell “scheduled the election for Wednesday, a day after senators returned to Washington from a weekslong recess. The schedule leaves little time for an underdog candidate like Scott to win over colleagues who might give him more consideration now that a second Trump term is assured,” Susan Ferrechio wrote for The Washington Times on Monday.

“I think most people are still making up their minds,” Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt said Monday on “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show.”

Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee was one of the earliest senators to endorse Scott.

Hagerty said in a statement on Saturday:

“President Trump’s massive coattails delivered a historic Republican Senate majority. As a result of President Trump’s leadership, we saw Republican Senate victories in seats (i.e. PA, OH, MT) that have eluded Republicans for decades. Any leader of this new majority must be able to work hand-in-hand with President Trump to advance his America First agenda. The Senate must lean into advancing this agenda. That’s why I want to see a Senate Majority Leader who can join me in embracing the Trump agenda, which will unify Senate Republicans. On Wednesday, I will be voting for Rick Scott.”

Scott also had the support of Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Marco Rubio of Florida.

Scott, Cornyn, and Thune have agreed to support Trump’s call for recess appointments, which allow a president to fill high-level positions temporarily during Senate breaks that bypass immediate Senate confirmation. Recess appointments last until the end of the Senate’s next session unless the appointee is confirmed by the Senate during that time.

Scott wrote in response to Trump’s request: “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.”

Thune wrote on X: “We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s nominees in place as soon as possible, & all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments. We cannot let Schumer and Senate Dems block the will of the American people.”

“It is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President Donald Trump‘s cabinet appointments. If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent. Additionally, the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments,” Senator John Cornyn wrote.

“Article II, Section 2, Clause 3: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session,” Cornyn added.

Trump wrote in a social media post on Sunday that any GOP Senator seeking the leadership position “must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner.”

“Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more,” Trump continued. “This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY! Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!”


Don’t Trust AI With the News and Your Children’s Future