Some Republican senators want former President Trump to play a significant role in choosing the next Senate Republican leader, aiming for a notable change in leadership style after Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) 18-year tenure. Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) seems to be the top contender to succeed McConnell, although Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a former whip and a strong fundraiser, may outperform him. However, senators suggest that if Trump emerges victorious in the Nov. 5 election, he could greatly impact the race by throwing his support behind another candidate, such as Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), or even National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines (Mont.).
“Anyone who believes Trump won’t have a significant influence on the leader race is either silly, deliberately naive, or both,” a Republican senator who preferred not to be named told The Hill. Trump backed Scott in his challenge against McConnell after the 2022 midterm election with limited results. McConnell won by a vote of 37-10. However, senators viewed Trump’s return to the White House as unlikely at the time. He would have more sway in the leadership race this time if he defeats Vice President Harris.
“It’s crucial regardless of who the president is to have a solid working relationship with them. That’s just obvious. I believe it’s extremely important,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who argues that Trump’s endorsement will be a key factor in the upcoming race. “He will be the president of the United States. If we are in the majority, he will essentially be in charge. We will have to execute the things he directs us to in terms of his objectives,” added Johnson, who supports Scott. “You need a very strong working relationship in that scenario,” he stated. “I have been looking for a more cooperative conference for quite some time.”
Both Thune and Cornyn have assured their Republican colleagues that they would strive to closely collaborate with Trump. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), another Trump supporter, mentioned that Thune acknowledged during a private meeting in March “that there can’t be a tumultuous relationship” with Trump “or he won’t be the leader.” Daines is focused on winning Senate races and has not confirmed whether he will run for leader.
McConnell, who served as GOP leader throughout Trump’s term, played a role in passing Trump’s major legislative accomplishment, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He also contributed significantly to Trump’s reshaping of the Supreme Court by blocking President Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland in 2016 and confirming three conservative justices: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. However, McConnell fell short in attempting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, another top priority for Trump. Trump blamed McConnell for failing to pass an infrastructure bill during his presidency.
“He repeatedly claimed he couldn’t get it approved,” Trump lamented in November 2021 after McConnell and 18 other Senate Republicans supported a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that President Biden signed into law that year. Their relationship was not strong, as McConnell revealed in a recorded oral history at the end of 2020. McConnell privately thought Trump was “foolish as well as being ill-tempered,” a “despicable individual,” and a “narcissist,” according to a recent biography of the GOP leader by Michael Tackett, the deputy Washington bureau chief of The Associated Press.
GOP senators believe the next Republican leader must have a much better relationship with Trump, and they anticipate this will influence how they and their colleagues vote in the leadership race. “If Republicans win the majority in the Senate and if Trump wins the White House, I think it’s going to be very important for whoever our next Republican leader is to work closely with President Trump and his team,” stated Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). Lee mentioned that Trump’s involvement in the leadership race would be highly significant.
Senators who have long been frustrated with McConnell’s leadership style, which is marked by tight control over Senate floor strategy and close ties with the Senate GOP’s largest super PAC – the Senate Leadership Fund, have doubts about whether Thune or Cornyn would bring about substantial change in how business is conducted. These conservatives seek to have more influence over the next leader and view Trump as their best opportunity to disrupt the status quo. Lee has put forward a set of reforms that Republican senators will discuss on Nov. 13 when they convene to elect their new leadership team.
He and other Senate conservatives aim to prevent the next Senate GOP leader from using a procedural tactic known as “filling the amendment tree” to block votes on amendments to essential bills. According to Lee’s proposal, the GOP leader could only block amendment votes with three-fourths of the Republican conference’s support. They also want to establish a conference rule that the GOP floor leader should only whip for or against a bill or nominee with the majority of the conference’s backing. This is intended to prevent the next Republican leader from passing laws through the Senate that most Republican senators oppose, as McConnell did with the $1 trillion infrastructure bill in 2021, as well as gun-violence legislation and the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022.
Senate Republican Conference Chair John Barrasso (Wyo.), who confirmed that Republican senators will discuss these proposed reforms before voting for their next leader on Nov. 13, mentioned that Trump is relying on a Republican Senate to accomplish his goals if elected president. “He knows that we all need to collaborate so we can swiftly confirm his Cabinet and thwart the Democrats’ plans for tax hikes,” said Barrasso, who appeared with Trump at the Jets-Steelers football game in Pittsburgh Sunday night. Source link.