Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) expressed his belief on Sunday that Sen. John Thune (R-S.C.) will prove to be an exceptional leader for the Senate as Republicans look ahead to regaining control of the upper chamber.
Rounds shared his confidence during an interview on NewsNation’s The Hill Sunday, saying, “I’ve known John Thune since the 1980s, and I’m sure he’s going to be a great leader.” He went on to emphasize the strength of the field, noting, “The nice thing for Republicans is that we have three highly qualified individuals competing for the majority leader position.
Thune aims to bring real change if chosen as Senate majority leader
While I have no ill words to say about the other candidates, I truly believe John Thune is the right choice.” Thune is currently in competition with Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) for the role of Senate majority leader, a position soon to be vacated by the long-serving Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
With the GOP set to regain Senate control following the results of Tuesday’s elections, the race is heating up. Rounds also touched on Thune’s goals, saying, “Part of his agenda is to bring real change to the Senate. He’s focused on making the Senate function effectively and ensuring that things actually get done on time.”
In recent weeks, Thune has urged President-elect Trump to stay out of the leadership race, arguing that it would benefit Trump to remain neutral. However, supporters of Cornyn and Scott have interpreted Thune’s plea for Trump’s non-intervention as a sign of unease, suggesting that Thune fears losing Trump’s backing. “He’s terrified.
He knows that Trump won’t endorse him. If Trump gets involved, it’s bad for him,” a Senate Republican aide commented.
