Donald Trump, along with his close associate, Elon Musk, is informing congressional Republicans who holds the reins as the president-elect’s supporters start their initiative to position a MAGA loyalist at the helm of the Senate.
Sen. Rick Scott from Florida, a known Trump supporter, is currently the leading contender to take over as the next Senate majority leader, succeeding Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, who is vacating the position. Musk, the individual who illuminated the concept of “Dark MAGA,” has voiced his support for Scott’s leadership pursuit.
Scott’s rise in the competition is marked by a surge of endorsements from various MAGA insiders and Trump loyalists, including Tucker Carlson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), and Laura Loomer, the right-wing conspiracy theorist closely aligned with Trump.
On Saturday, Carlson took to X to urge his 14.5 million followers to “Call your senator and demand a public endorsement for Rick Scott.”
In the meantime, Kennedy stated that without Scott, Trump’s reform plans would be “unstable.”
The Senate Republicans are set to vote next week in a three-way contest involving Scott and Senators John Thune of South Dakota and John Cornyn of Texas for the Senate leadership position. Thune, who currently serves as the Senate GOP whip, would have been a strong contender had Trump not won the presidential election.
However, Trump’s triumph, combined with the Republican regain of Senate control, significantly alters the dynamics of the leadership race. It further emphasizes Trump’s substantial influence over the entire federal government as he prepares to return to the White House, maintaining a stronghold over his party, which is poised to dominate both chambers of Congress. (While some House races are still pending final results, it is virtually guaranteed that Republicans will retain control of the House of Representatives.)
Positioning Trump’s favored candidate as the top leader in the Senate will reinforce the president-elect’s firm command over Republicans in Congress, whom he will rely on to pass laws that facilitate his agenda—from tax reductions and tariffs to tightening border control and confirming conservative judges.
Trump’s longtime GOP strategist Susie Wiles, who is anticipated to be the chief of staff, shares a close relationship with Scott, having played a pivotal role in his elections to the Florida governorship and the Senate.
The Florida senator, well-acquainted with the subtle influence wielded by Wiles, promptly congratulated her following Trump’s announcement that she would be his chief of staff in the White House.
“She is the ideal fit for this position. She has been a friend since my 2010 campaign when she managed my initial race for Governor,” Scott shared on X. “She knows how to assemble an outstanding team, is a genuine leader, a trusted advisor, and a strategic mastermind.”
While Thune and his supporters had requested Trump to “avoid involvement in the race,” the president-elect instead specified his expectations for the next Senate leader to navigate around Democrats regarding judicial appointments prior to his inauguration.
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