John Thune elected Senate majority leader in rebuke to Trump allies

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South Dakota senator John Thune has been elected the next Republican leader in the Senate during Donald Trump’s second term, setting him up as a potential check on the incoming president’s agenda and power.

The decision by a majority of Republicans to back Thune is a rebuke to Trump allies, including billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk, Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk and former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, who had all pushed for Florida senator Rick Scott to get the top job.

But Trump — who in the past called Thune “weak and ineffective” and a “Rino” or “Republican in name only” — did not make an endorsement in the leadership race.

The election of Thune as the most powerful Republican on Capitol Hill came as Trump made a triumphant return to Washington following his victory against Kamala Harris last week.

US President Joe Biden invited Trump to meet at the White House, as both leaders pledged an orderly transfer of power ahead of the January handover.

“Congratulations,” Biden told Trump as they sat near the fireplace in the Oval Office. “I look forward to having a smooth transition,” he added. 

Trump responded: “It will be as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that, Joe.”

Biden and Trump have been bitter political rivals for years: Biden beat Trump in the 2020 election and they faced off this year, before Biden dropped out as the Democratic candidate in July to make way for Harris. While Biden has called Trump a threat to US democracy in the past, Trump has accused Biden of being the worst president in US history. 

“Politics is tough and in many cases it’s not a nice world, but it is a nice world today,” Trump said. 

Thune’s victory in the Senate leadership race sets him up to be a key ally — and potential obstacle — for Trump as the president-elect rushes to implement his agenda, including an extension of his 2017 tax cuts, and secure the confirmation of his nominees for top jobs and cabinet posts.

Trump has already made a number of nominations, including Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and US Army veteran, as defence secretary, which could face opposition in the upper chamber of Congress.

Thune defeated Texas senator John Cornyn in the second round of voting on Wednesday to secure the backing of the majority of his colleagues, after Scott was eliminated in the first round of voting.

“This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today,” Thune said.

From January, Republicans will control the Senate with a comfortable majority after picking up four seats in last week’s elections.

Republican lawmakers are also confident they will hold on to the House of Representatives, requiring two more seats with a dozen races still to be called. Trump earlier on Wednesday addressed House Republicans on Capitol Hill and gave a ringing endorsement to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

Thune, 63, is the senior US senator from South Dakota and has been number two in Senate leadership pecking order behind Mitch McConnell since 2019.

Thune is seen as more of an “establishment” Republican, compared with Cornyn or Scott, and has at times been critical of Trump, who at one point publicly called for someone to launch a primary challenge against the Thune after he did not support Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Trump nevertheless has already indicated he intends to exert a strong grip over Congress in his second term, and Thune has worked to improve his relationship with the him. Earlier this year, Thune visited the then-presidential candidate at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

More recently, Trump sought to flex his political muscles by insisting at the weekend that any Republican leader in the Senate should let him make recess appointments — bypassing the formal Senate confirmation process — to his cabinet.

Thune did not push back, replying in a statement that lawmakers “must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible”, adding: “All options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments.”