{"id":2703248,"date":"2026-11-09T07:46:46","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T12:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignelecting-john-thune-senate-minority-leader-would-be-rewarding-failure\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T07:54:04","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T12:54:04","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignelecting-john-thune-senate-minority-leader-would-be-rewarding-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignelecting-john-thune-senate-minority-leader-would-be-rewarding-failure\/","title":{"rendered":"Electing John Thune Minority Leader Would Be &#8216;Rewarding Failure&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/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%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignelecting-john-thune-senate-minority-leader-would-be-rewarding-failure%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=2703248&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>After Republicans lost control of congress, Sen. John Thune moved to become Senate minority Leader,prompting GOP colleagues to push back and seek a delay to reassess strategy. Senators Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, John Kennedy, Rick Scott and Dave McCormick backed a letter saying a rushed vote would be \u201cpolitical malpractice\u201d and urging evaluation before 2028. Critics fault Thune for legislative inaction-especially on election-integrity bills-and warn Republicans must use the lame\u2011duck to confirm judicial nominees before Democrats return to power or face grim consequences.  <\/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<div>\n<p>A handful of Republican senators have at least attempted to slow the coronation train for failed Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. <\/p>\n<p>The South Dakota Republican <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/11\/04\/thune-will-run-minority-leader-after-republicans-lose-senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> shortly after the GOP got its brains beat out in Tuesday\u2019s midterm that since he was so successful in losing the majority, he would very much like to lead Senate Republicans as a significantly diminished minority. Thune and his swamp buddies moved quickly to try to secure their leadership positions, calling conference elections for Tuesday \u2014 exactly one week after the party lost control of the House and Senate in the blue trouncing. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think any rational, honest person [could] blame John Thune for any of this,\u201d Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., <a href=\"https:\/\/rollcall.com\/2026\/10\/30\/senate-house-gop-set-leadership-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> reporters last week. Thune\u2019s Dakota buddy is wrong. Very wrong. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI saw a report that says Senator John Thune is gliding into the Senate Minority Leader role,\u201d Alex Bruesewitz, adviser to President Donald Trump, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/alexbruesewitz\/status\/2118355384184479918?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote on X<\/a>. \u201cWhy do Hill Republicans insist on rewarding failure? He\u2019s not exactly in touch with the interests of Republican voters,\u201d he continued. \u201cPerhaps it\u2019s time to give someone else a chance?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>I saw a report that says Senator John Thune is gliding into the Senate Minority Leader role. <\/p>\n<p>Why do Hill Republicans insist on rewarding failure? He\u2019s not exactly in touch with the interests of Republican voters. <\/p>\n<p>Perhaps it\u2019s time to give someone else a chance?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Alex Bruesewitz \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@alexbruesewitz) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/alexbruesewitz\/status\/2118355384184479918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2>\u2018Political Malpractice\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Sen. Ron Johnson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FRUHHH1MZD0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportedly<\/a> has secured the five signatures needed from his Republican colleagues to slow down the rush to crown Thune Republican leader again. <\/p>\n<p>In a letter to be sent Monday to Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the Wisconsin Republican asserts Tuesday\u2019s \u201cstunning defeat\u201d needs more deliberation from Republicans before rolling on with the status quo. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to have serious discussions within our conference as to what we can do to improve the outcome in 2028,\u201d Johnson and like-minded colleagues <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/6204900-ron-johnson-senate-gop-leadership-election-midterm-election-losses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a>, according to multiple media reports. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHolding leadership elections without engaging in a robust discussion and evaluation of how those running for leadership intend to lead would be political malpractice. It is certainly not the way leadership elections should be conducted in the world\u2019s most deliberative body,\u201d the letter states. <\/p>\n<p>As Johnson rightly pointed out, Republican senators don\u2019t even know how many members they\u2019ll have in their conference. As of Sunday night, extremely tight races in Alaska and Mississippi had yet to be called.<\/p>\n<p>Thune critics, Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rick Scott., Fla., and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/11\/09\/mccormick-delay-senate-gop-leadership-election-thune?utm_campaign=editorial&#038;utm_medium=social&#038;utm_source=facebook&#038;mrfcid=202611096aed890626715624703f079f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dave McCormick<\/a>, R-Penn., have each said publicly that they back Johnson in the effort. <\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>I\u2019m a business guy. Good companies make a plan for success and then hire the best person to get it done, not the other way around. <\/p>\n<p>I signed <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenRonJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SenRonJohnson<\/a>\u2019s letter on Friday because the Senate should work the same way. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OcqboDuot2\">https:\/\/t.co\/OcqboDuot2<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenRickScott\/status\/2119523350221361589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAll Republican senators should support this effort,\u201d Lee urged in a<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BasedMikeLee\/status\/2118859916115100141\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> post on X.<\/a> \u201cNo need to rush into leadership elections before discussing what happened and how best to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Utah senator included in a post Senate GOP rules which state that a Republican Party Conference to elect officers \u201cshall be held\u201d within one week after the beginning of each Congress \u2014 not one week after a shellacking at the polls. While Lee notes the conferences have often been held earlier, as they were following the 2024 election, \u201cperhaps Senate Republicans should assess leadership candidates based on how they lead the conference over the next few weeks while we still have the majority\u2014especially while the full membership of the next conference is still being determined.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>Senate GOP rules contemplate leadership elections occurring between January 3rd &#038; January 10th.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve often been held earlier than that, but perhaps Senate Republicans should assess leadership candidates based on how they lead the conference over the next few weeks while we\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qNkkRdrYvU\">https:\/\/t.co\/qNkkRdrYvU<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ExFe9D5S6u\">pic.twitter.com\/ExFe9D5S6u<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BasedMikeLee\/status\/2119146871625306363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2>\u2018You Did Nothing\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Thune\u2019s delusion appears to know no bounds. In a social media post, the majority leader insisted that \u201cSenate Republicans have put up a strong record of accomplishment\u201d over the past two years. <\/p>\n<p>Election integrity warrior Cleta Mitchell begged to differ, pointing to Thune\u2019s weak efforts in moving the extremely popular SAVE Act and its successor, the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/11\/03\/nyt-our-elections-are-super-secure-also-look-at-all-these-noncitizens-who-voted-by-accident\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SAVE America Act.<\/a> The bills would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to vote in U.S. elections. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. You didn\u2019t. You are absolutely 100% wrong. You did nothing of the sort. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NRSC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@NRSC<\/a> Senate Republicans under YOUR \u2018leadership\u2019 did nothing. Nothing,\u201d Mitchell wrote in response to Thune\u2019s assessment. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you BERATED <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BasedMikeLee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@BasedMikeLee<\/a> for trying to get you to work full weeks, to try to pass the SAVE America Act. Or to work a weekend sometime. Or not to recess for weeks in March and then again recess for a month in August. You and your fellow GOP Senators told him that nobody cared about the SAVE America Act. That he needed to sit down and shut up,\u201d Mitchell, head of the Election Integrity Network, wrote. <\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>No. You didn\u2019t.   You are absolutely 100% wrong.  You did nothing of the sort.  <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NRSC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NRSC<\/a> Senate Republicans under YOUR \u201cleadership\u201d did nothing.  Nothing. <\/p>\n<p>You had the chance to begin the process of saving our election system from the radical left.  By passing the SAVE America Act.\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Cleta Mitchell (@CletaMitchell) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CletaMitchell\/status\/2117951849827295593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Many conservative voters sat on the sidelines this election cycle in no small part thanks to the Senate\u2019s many failures to pass the Trump agenda the grassroots voted for in 2024. Thune blamed \u201cDemocrat obstruction\u201d at every turn. He failed to note the obstructionist RINOs in his own party, several of whom have been sent packing after Tuesday\u2019s blowout. <\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>The grassroots are watching. If what\u2019s left of the right side of the Senate aisle saves current leadership, it will send a huge signal that Republicans in power learned nothing from the electoral rejection they\u2019ve just suffered. It will communicate that in its current form, the GOP is not a party worth saving. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Senate has 2 months to pass the SAVE act and approve all of the President\u2019s judicial nominations. No vacations, and no doggie birthday parades!\u201d one dissatisfied commenter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SenatorJohnKennedy\/posts\/i-have-signed-sen-ron-johnsons-letter-to-postpone-senate-republican-leadership-e\/1712865846865017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a> on Sen. John Kennedy\u2019s Facebook page. <\/p>\n<h2>\u2018The Next Two Years Will be Bleak\u2019 <\/h2>\n<p>Mike Davis, founder and president of the Article III Project, laid out the math. Thune and crew need to confirm 23 judges, four for the circuit courts and 19 for the district courts, before a radical Democrat Party takes control on Jan. 3. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, (Mr. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/119\/meeting\/house\/118401\/documents\/HHRG-119-JU03-20250624-SD005-U5.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">You won\u2019t know what hit you\u201d<\/a>) will block any confirmation to the court of appeals, and will likely ice Trump\u2019s district court nominations. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSenate Republicans either finish the judicial job now, or they leave these seats open for the left if Democrats win back the White House in 2028,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/opinion\/mike-davis-lame-duck-senate-unfinished-business-ticking-clock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Davis wrote<\/a>. \u201cAppellate courts are the most consequential. They get the final word in the vast majority of cases. <a href=\"https:\/\/u20277988.ct.sendgrid.net\/ls\/click?upn=u001.PjADtAPlkHt4shDcBD8avyP1LuL0BDON1-2F2-2FJqD-2FH17dfMUnNzUqEK7QKslEhlyPPpAKilg3-2BEXpqT5KOIx4tmH9eRLiIIG2VHf7gco7isg-3DNE0F_6O-2FK1-2B0DasZGKjNnp4geso7gT7uSNh0y1D9UA847uZ0KBHT3Q-2F1tPgQZ5UJyf-2F5W81zIpWM2BTVBVUOz4yLQoBA83r-2BuZx7mq1MUIfLsduj-2B59-2BYPgmZVetzSrKK3hXYmReQSVt-2BOAMEytBKmvSxldd9z7n7yyQA-2FzorPJZiV83lpZrojgVii7HzCYhy-2F6bjhByyDzYcp65YNVOPwrx9VG0oON2-2Fqf6YTqYuV4ep-2FXveFwyPOvzGzOrLH5W2SkO-2B-2FqKsLcTzFzmiBHCkelkEKupuQl-2FtoNIrbnDQLnNk2cBbgwA2sJtHdzccUSES7e4PfjS5Owm1RmB5KMB1z0CsjaJ2Mco9bMF4FwklEkEmhwGlabx-2FvlHMSSdfao6kJEMAQKL1RDXZmpkiQYWJZkJ7cnTR4BJCLEIGct0fAJVKEkg9tvuX5-2BFqjUELbkAPFUHsTQfUe6-2B9DuDCSY4itt8CqgKuuZwRi1yEbyZYa2OghvEwgC28fm4mhk9uEuBDjRtRNRM5IHGhetn1b4-2Bey-2BsJnhxghjPfqxVJJmrrhVBxMOInHKRdbZyKtjXms-2FN1bAwDdk2zmIG0L7GUNkvyt1rN9eNQkjB9841BNJ3iiop9uQOb4cU47bTdPMAr6YUVEaz2o3cqVqWNM3dflSUY2AWqLjzpAtDHlaRQIPJx87ZbRoBk-2FDVUxvVJH8sRb9AlkfqH-2BR-2Bc-2B8efV7-2BtAxjJxPFsgJdgwarMoJYLk6e07ot8HyatFigGnYiqiRz1yhVNSbqIRHjs6I6EUBe1FWjw3FbX14ufzYy01ncP-2F-2FOGsQO9IJEHrm6wD0-2BwIfloFvzJ1v3iqpLbgHYDMguXuskWSgYC3Nl7mMvX92lpQxt9RWVTe-2FtK5HDySmYwPhHQLOz9FUm2aK1FT1XATIblT7cAT9F0oR30Wq6tKwtnw0KXZxrlQx6QL7YXzTluk5A7ht2j22Slm9p4QoZJqd3ZUQYf4MMjcFpdSyW6jR-2FG-2ByAxCRsJbJM-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Supreme Court<\/a> grants only about 1% of all petitions for review. For nearly every litigant in federal court in America, the circuit court is the last stop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The left, Davis argues, can\u2019t play the higher ground card on the issue. Democrats wrote the playbook on ramming through as many federal judges as they could in their 2024 lame duck session. As Davis noted, then-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin, D-Illinois, \u201cruthlessly\u201d filled the courts with leftist judges, some who went on to serve as the left\u2019s unconstitutional \u201cresistance movement\u201d against executive branch policy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe next two years will be bleak for judicial nominees, and bleak in plenty of other ways. The next two months must be bright. Confirming these outstanding judges will be the lasting legacy of these outgoing senators,\u201d Davis wrote. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Matt Kittle is a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist. An award-winning investigative reporter and 30-year veteran of print, broadcast, and online journalism, Kittle previously served as the executive director of Empower Wisconsin.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paraphrase:<br \/>\nAfter a damaging midterm for the GOP, a small group of Republican senators has tried to slow John Thune\u2019s push to reclaim Senate Republican leadership. Thune has signaled he would prefer to lead from a smaller minority and moved quickly to schedule leadership elections, just a week after the party\u2019s losses. Some conservatives criticized him as out of touch with voters and unworthy of the post. Senator Ron Johnson reportedly secured the five Senate Republican votes needed to delay the vote and urged a broader discussion on how to improve outcomes in 2028. Senators John Kennedy, Mike Lee, Rick Scott, and Dave McCormick publicly\u652f\u6301 Johnson\u2019s effort. Lee argued leadership elections should come after serious debate about how to lead, not hastily. The dispute comes as several races remain unsettled, keeping the party\u2019s exact size unclear. Critics say Thune failed to advance key election-security measures like the SAVE Act, while some conservatives warn that delaying leadership could signal the party hasn\u2019t learned from its losses. There are also concerns that a lack of timely judicial confirmations could leave significant vacancies if Democrats regain control.<\/p>\n<p>55-character teaser:<br \/>\nSome GOP lawmakers slow Thune&#8217;s bid for Senate minority<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":656,"featured_media":2703249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Screenshot-2026-11-08-at-9.53.48-PM-1024x580.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[50402,5894,3740],"class_list":["post-2703248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-leadership-2","tag-politics","tag-senate"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Screenshot-2026-11-08-at-9.53.48-PM-1024x580.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703248","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\/656"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2703248"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2703252,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703248\/revisions\/2703252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2703249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2703248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2703248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2703248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}