Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the 2024 presidential election may well herald a new era for the Republican Party. Trump’s America First agenda never went away after the 2020 election, and now it is back with a vengeance as, effectively, the GOP’s official platform. One of the most significant changes to the party’s command structure will occur on Wednesday, Nov. 13, when the Senate Republican Conference elects a new leader to replace Mitch McConnell, who has led the conference since 2007. There’s plenty of intrigue surrounding this leadership contest, including an involuntary cameo appearance by Vice President-elect JD Vance.
Since Republicans have secured 53 Senate seats in the next Congress, one of the three men vying to fill McConnell’s shoes will serve as Senate Majority Leader – at least until the 2026 midterm elections. For the incoming President Trump, the winner of this week’s election will be filling a vital role as he looks to fill Cabinet positions and other federal government appointments.
John Thune of South Dakota, currently McConnell’s number two, is thought by many to be the leading contender. John Cornyn of Texas is also in the running. And then there’s Rick Scott of Florida, who, of the three candidates, is Trump’s closest ally and who has already picked up endorsements from prominent people within Trump’s circle, such as Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk.
Trump Leans on Senate Leadership Hopefuls
The soon-to-be 47th president of the United States has already indicated that he is anxious to fill crucial executive branch roles. He knows that some of his nominations may well get pushback from three or four GOP senators who have never really been on his team. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, along with one or two others, could prove to be a thorn in the new president’s side when it comes to the confirmation of nominees. There’s also the likelihood that Senate Democrats will try to find ways to slow down or hold up the confirmations process.
“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump posted on the Truth Social and X social media platforms.
Though constitutional, recess appointments have often been a point of contention. These are appointments made by the president during a time when the Senate is not session but in recess. Some have criticized this practice as doing an end run around the senators, especially when candidates may be considered controversial. However, all three senators hoping to replace McConnell have suggested that they are willing to work with Trump to expedite the approval of his appointees.
Another name now being floated as the next Senate Majority Leader is none other than JD Vance. For his part, Vance has endorsed Scott for the position. But in some circles, there now appears to be an enthusiasm for Vance himself to take on the Senate leadership role in addition to being vice president.
Of course, the VP is also president of the Senate, and certain people are claiming that the Constitution allows Vance to also become Senate Majority Leader. That is not strictly true, because the office of “Senate Majority Leader” is not mentioned in the Constitution and was not officially recognized until much later. It seems unlikely that any vice president would want to take on both roles because each demands a not inconsiderable amount of time, energy, and dedication. Suspicions are now circulating that Vance’s name was thrown into the discussion to draw support away from Scott and boost Thune’s chances of prevailing.
Whichever senator succeeds McConnell, Trump is likely to breathe a sigh of relief – though he has made no endorsement. The longtime leader from Kentucky never seemed to be a reliable ally to the 45th president – to say the least. It appears that 47 is readying a four-year tsunami of shake-ups, both in policy and government structure. He will need all the support from the Senate he can get. Especially, he is going to need someone at the helm in the upper chamber whose main goal is not keeping the Washington gravy train on the tracks.
