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South Dakota senator John Thune has been elected the following Republican chief within the Senate throughout Donald Trump’s second time period, setting him up as a possible examine on the incoming president’s agenda and energy.
The choice by a majority of Republicans to again Thune on Wednesday was a rebuke to Trump allies, together with billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk, Turning Level founder Charlie Kirk and former Fox Information presenter Tucker Carlson, who had all pushed for Florida senator Rick Scott to get the highest job.
However Trump — who previously known as Thune “weak and ineffective” and a “Rino”, or “Republican in identify solely” — didn’t make an endorsement within the management race.
Thune’s election because the Republican chief in Congress’s higher chamber got here as Trump made a triumphant return to Washington following his victory in opposition to Kamala Harris final week.
US President Joe Biden invited Trump to fulfill on the White Home, the place each leaders pledged an orderly switch of energy forward of the January handover.
“Congratulations,” Biden instructed Trump as they sat close to the fireside within the Oval Workplace. “I stay up for having a clean transition.”
Trump responded: “It is going to be as clean as it may well get and I very a lot admire that, Joe.”
Biden and Trump have been bitter political rivals for years. Biden beat Trump within the 2020 election, they usually confronted off this yr earlier than Biden dropped out because the Democratic candidate in July to make manner for Harris. Whereas the president has known as Trump a risk to US democracy previously, Trump has accused Biden of being the worst president in US historical past.
“Politics is hard and in lots of circumstances it’s not a pleasant world, however it’s a good world right now,” Trump stated.
The 2 males and their chiefs of workers met for about two hours within the Oval Workplace, the place the president-elect requested an in depth set of questions, in keeping with the White Home.
“It was a substantive assembly,” stated Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “They mentioned vital nationwide safety and home coverage points going through the nation and the world.”
“There was an excellent backwards and forwards” and Trump was “gracious”, she added.
Nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan stated that in the course of the assembly Biden “strengthened his view that america standing with Ukraine on an ongoing foundation is in our nationwide safety curiosity”.
Thune’s victory within the Senate management race units him as much as be a crucial determine — and potential impediment — for Trump because the president-elect pursues his agenda, together with an extension of his 2017 tax cuts, and to safe the affirmation of his nominees for high jobs and cupboard posts.
Trump has made quite a lot of nominations, together with Pete Hegseth, a Fox Information host and US navy veteran, as defence secretary, that would face opposition within the Senate.
The nominations of controversial Florida congressman Matt Gaetz to be attorney-general and former Democratic consultant Tulsi Gabbard to be intelligence chief are additionally more likely to be closely scrutinised within the Senate.
Thune defeated Texas senator John Cornyn within the second spherical of voting on Wednesday to safe the backing of the vast majority of his colleagues, after Scott was eradicated within the first spherical.
“This Republican group is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work begins right now,” Thune stated.
From January, Republicans will maintain each chambers of Congress after the Related Press on Wednesday stated the occasion had secured the 218 seats wanted to retain management of the Home. The dimensions its majority stays unsure, nevertheless, with 9 races but to be known as. Republicans additionally gained 4 Senate seats in final week’s election, taking management of the higher chamber of Congress from Democrats.
Trump on Wednesday addressed Home Republicans on Capitol Hill and gave a ringing endorsement to Speaker Mike Johnson.
Thune, 63, is the senior US senator from South Dakota and has been quantity two within the Senate management pecking order behind Mitch McConnell since 2019.
Thune is seen as extra of an institution Republican, in contrast with Cornyn or Scott. He didn’t assist Trump’s makes an attempt to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election, although earlier this yr Thune met the previous president at his resort in Florida.
Trump sought to flex his political muscle by insisting on the weekend that any Republican chief within the Senate ought to let him make recess appointments to his cupboard, bypassing the formal Senate affirmation course of.
Thune replied in an announcement that lawmakers “should act rapidly and decisively to get the president’s cupboard and different nominees in place as quickly as attainable”, including: “All choices are on the desk to make that occur, together with recess appointments.”
