{"id":2365846,"date":"2024-11-07T20:28:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T01:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-tries-to-fend-off-trump-intervention-in-senate-leader-race\/"},"modified":"2024-11-07T20:29:55","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T01:29:55","slug":"thune-tries-to-fend-off-trump-intervention-in-senate-leader-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-tries-to-fend-off-trump-intervention-in-senate-leader-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Thune tries to fend off Trump intervention in Senate leader race"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthune-tries-to-fend-off-trump-intervention-in-senate-leader-race%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2365846&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In the ongoing race to\u200d replace Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Whip\u2064 John Thune\u200c (R-SD) is urging President-elect Donald Trump to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/book-obama-enamored-with-beto-orourke-skeptical-of-joe-biden-in-2020-democratic-primary\/\" title=\"Book: Obama \u2018Enamored\u2019 with Beto O\u2019Rourke, Skeptical of Joe Biden in 2020 Democratic Primary\">remain neutral<\/a> and not endorse any \u2064candidates. Thune\u200c is viewed as a frontrunner alongside Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), while Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is rallying support\u2063 for reforms. Thune has expressed concerns that Trump\u2019s involvement could complicate the race, stating that the best outcome would be for \u200cTrump to\u200b allow the election to \u200cproceed independently. Thune, who previously endorsed Trump\u2019s rival in\u2063 the primaries, has worked to strengthen his relationship with \u2064Trump, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-school-determined-she-wasnt-drunk-but-suspended-him-for-sexual-assault-anyway-the-case-just-settled\/\" title=\"The School Determined She Wasn\u2019t Drunk But Suspended Him For Sexual Assault Anyway. The Case Just Settled.\">communicating regularly<\/a> and addressing their past differences. Despite Trump&#8217;s rising influence, Thune\u2019s allies argue that any endorsement might backfire due to the secret ballot process and potential fallout. Cornyn, meanwhile, has aligned\u200c more closely with Trump and emphasizes his past fundraising success as a\u200b key part of his candidacy. The dynamics of \u200bthe\u200d race are\u2063 complex, with both Thune and \u200dCornyn vying for support as they navigate their relationships with Trump and their fellow Republicans.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Thune tries to fend off Trump intervention in Senate leader race<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1876296\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Senate Minority Whip <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) is publicly encouraging President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a> to stay neutral in next week&rsquo;s race for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-ends-negotiations-with-nancy-pelosi-on-coronavirus-relief\/\" title=\"Donald Trump Ends Negotiations with Nancy Pelosi on Coronavirus Relief\">majority leader<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In repeated TV interviews, Thune has asked that Trump not endorse any of the three candidates running to replace GOP Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mitch-mcconnell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Mitch McConnell<\/a> (R-KY).<\/p>\n<p>Thune is perceived as the marginal front-runner in that contest, given his role as McConnell&rsquo;s deputy, but Trump&rsquo;s involvement could shape the race in unpredictable ways.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Obviously if he wants to, he could exert a considerable amount of influence on that,&rdquo; Thune said on CNBC Thursday. &ldquo;But honestly I think my preference would be, and I think it&rsquo;s probably in his best interest to stay out of that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Frankly, I think if he lets it play out, we&rsquo;ll get the right person,&rdquo; Thune said in a Wednesday interview on Fox News.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3220757\/what-happens-donald-trump-president-elect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT TRUMP IS PRESIDENT-ELECT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The race, to be held next Wednesday, is an internal affair. Both Thune and his chief competitor, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), have been holding regular conversations with their GOP colleagues since McConnell announced his retirement from leadership in February.<\/p>\n<p>The third competitor, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL),&nbsp;has begun to consolidate a bloc of Republicans who are demanding reforms in exchange for their vote.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3221830\/trump-election-uncertainty-senate-gop-leader-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">prospect of Trump influencing the process<\/a> has been ever-present since he locked up the nomination earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>Thune endorsed Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), one of Trump&rsquo;s competitors in the primary, but has since attempted to repair their relationship.<\/p>\n<p>He visited Mar-a-Lago in March and has &ldquo;regularly communicated&rdquo; with him in the months that followed, according to a source familiar with the discussions. The two spoke last week and on Wednesday, the day Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3210669\/donald-trump-wins-2024-election-defeating-kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">clinched<\/a> a second term in office.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s only one person in the race that President Trump just absolutely does not get along with,&rdquo; said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who is supporting Thune next week. &ldquo;But Thune and him are in a good place.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mullin declined to elaborate on if he was referring to Cornyn or Scott.<\/p>\n<p>Thune is not uniquely vulnerable because of his rocky past with Trump. Cornyn, too, once called for the Republican Party to chart a different course after Trump&rsquo;s 2020 loss.<\/p>\n<p>But Cornyn has been more vocal in realigning himself with Trump, pledging this week to &ldquo;Make America Great Again by making the Senate work again.&rdquo; In October, Cornyn appeared with Trump at events in Texas and Nevada.<\/p>\n<p>The implication of Thune&rsquo;s pleas is that a Trump endorsement would not necessarily cut his way. In 2022, Trump endorsed Rick Scott, who is again asking for Trump&rsquo;s support.<\/p>\n<p>But Thune and his allies have been making the case to Trump that an endorsement is not in his own self-interest. The leader race is conducted by secret ballot, limiting his sway over the process, and if his favored candidate loses, Trump risks bad blood before he&rsquo;s even stepped foot in the Oval Office.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;At the end of the day, he&rsquo;s going to do what he needs to do, but whoever the leader is, he&rsquo;s going to have to work with him,&rdquo; Mullin said of Trump, who is soliciting feedback from within the party. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s what I told him.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump had limited impact on the 2022 leader race. Scott only walked away with 10 votes in his challenge to McConnell, coming from a base of conservative Republicans he was already likely to have in his corner.<\/p>\n<p>But Trump&rsquo;s standing within the party is now much stronger. He not only won a second term in the White House, but <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">helped elected incoming members<\/a> who rode his coattails to victory on Election Day.<\/p>\n<p>The thrust of Cornyn&rsquo;s pitch is that he and Trump got along during his first term in office. Cornyn, then the Senate majority whip, helped usher through tax cuts and the confirmation of multiple Supreme Court justices.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As I told President Trump, I&rsquo;m interested in getting the band back together again,&rdquo; he said on Fox News.<\/p>\n<p>But Cornyn could be at a structural disadvantage given he was term-limited out of the whip job. When McConnell suffered a concussion last year, forcing him to be absent from the Senate, Thune temporarily took the reins.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I liked what John did and how he handled himself when Mitch wasn&rsquo;t able to be there,&rdquo; said Mullin. &ldquo;We really got to see a true leadership style at that point, and I think it impressed a lot of members at the time.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mullin told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> he conveyed that perspective to Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Cornyn has emphasized more than his prior tenure in leadership. His years as a prolific fundraiser for Senate Republicans have become another factor in the race.<\/p>\n<p>Both Thune and Cornyn have raised tens of millions for their colleagues this cycle as they seek to fill McConnell&rsquo;s shoes.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Cornyn has shown a greater willingness to compromise with the Senate&rsquo;s more conservative members should Scott lose.<\/p>\n<p>Mullin, who has had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-state-football-coach-says-he-will-not-receive-vaccine-will-attend-pac-12-media-day-remotely\/\" title=\"Washington State Football Coach Says He Will Not Receive Vaccine, Will Attend PAC-12 Media Day Remotely\">multiple conversations<\/a> with Trump on the leadership race, expressed uncertainty over whether he will ultimately decide to insert himself. The Trump campaign&nbsp;has not responded&nbsp;to a request for comment on Thune&rsquo;s remarks<\/p>\n<p>But Mullin judged that his own support, plus that of Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), will help Thune on Wednesday. Both are close allies of Trump, while Daines, as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has strong relationships with the incoming senators.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Ultimately, it&rsquo;s John&rsquo;s race, but it definitely helps,&rdquo; said Mullin.<\/p>\n<p>The leadership race is thought to be a dead heat between Thune and Cornyn given that neither has signaled he has enough votes to win. Nearly all members of the Senate GOP conference remain publicly uncommitted.<\/p>\n<p>But Mullin said there was a &ldquo;real possibility&rdquo; that Thune wins on the first ballot. A simple majority is needed, meaning 27 GOP votes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3154530\/biden-trying-shape-legacy-with-months-left-white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>HOW BIDEN IS TRYING TO SHAPE HIS LEGACY WITH JUST MONTHS LEFT IN OFFICE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It wouldn&rsquo;t surprise me at all,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>To this point, conventional wisdom has been that the race will require two, with Scott being eliminated in the first round.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1876296\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1876296\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thune urges Trump to remain neutral in Senate leader race<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2365847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/thune-trump-senate-leader-1024x592.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6203,5894,44584,23610,3634],"class_list":["post-2365846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-gop","tag-politics","tag-senate-leadership","tag-thune","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/thune-trump-senate-leader-1024x592.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2365846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2365846"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2365846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2365850,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2365846\/revisions\/2365850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2365847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2365846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2365846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2365846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}