Welcome to the online edition of From the Politics Desk, our evening newsletter that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News political team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today’s edition, senior national political reporter Sahil Kapur examines how the relationship between newly elected Senate Republican leader John Thune and President-elect Donald Trump is rapidly being tested. We also have the latest information on President Trump’s Cabinet nominations and JD Vance’s vision for the Vice Presidency.
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New Senate Republican leadership walks a MAGA tightrope
Written by Sahil Kapur
Sen. John Thune (R.S.D.) was elected as the next majority leader in a closed session of Senate Republicans on Wednesday, replacing Mitch McConnell, who is stepping down after a record 18 years in the top job. .
The victory of Thune, who has a reputation as an institutionalist, comes as the Senate Republican Conference has become more aligned with President-elect Donald Trump with each election, but has yet to transform into a MAGA organization like the House GOP. It shows that.
An online army of Trump supporters rallied to push the underdog candidate, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), seeing him as the most loyal of the candidates. Not only did the effort fail, some Republican aides told NBC News it backfired and sparked a negative reaction among senators. The secret ballot nature of the vote made it less susceptible to outside pressure, making it a true test of how Republicans feel.
However, Scott was defeated on the first ballot, receiving the fewest votes of the three candidates. That began a head-to-head race in the second vote between Thune and fellow longtime institutionalist Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Mr. Thune and Mr. Cornyn have both climbed the corporate ladder, but have broken with Mr. Trump on several areas in the past, including the January 6 incident and Mr. Trump’s false claims about election fraud.
The most obvious part: Trump himself is not involved in the campaign. Before the vote, Thune warned Trump on CNBC that “I think it’s probably in his best interest not to participate in something like that.”
Neither Thune nor Cornyn supported Trump in this year’s Republican primary. However, both supported him in the general election after he successfully won the nomination. And after Trump’s decisive victory in the general election, all three candidates ran on platforms to advance his policies.
“This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s policies, and our work begins today,” Thune said in a statement after his election.
Still, in his first post-election news conference, Trump promised that Senate Republicans would maintain the legislative filibuster. The 60-vote threshold was one that Trump repeatedly and unsuccessfully pressed on Republican senators during his first term. An overwhelming majority of Republican senators agree with Thune on this point.
And the conflicting dynamics within Senate Republicans will quickly resurface as Thune and his colleagues will oversee the confirmation process for Trump’s cabinet picks in the new year. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz (Florida) will serve as Attorney General, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will serve as Director of National Intelligence, and former National Guard and Fox News host Pete Hegseth will serve as Secretary of Defense. Already selected. Reactions ranged from surprise to bewilderment.
Democratic Sen. Kevin Cramer said Gaetz’s prospects for confirmation were “remote,” adding that it was “very likely” that Trump was testing the limits of how far he could push the Senate.
Meanwhile, Republicans in the House of Representatives, with Trump’s support, unanimously voted to nominate Mike Johnson of Louisiana for re-election as speaker in January.
NBC News projected on Wednesday that Republicans will retain their majority in the House, meaning voters will officially hand over all power in Washington to Mr. Trump and his party. But the majority is likely to be narrow again, and it will be a challenge for the party, especially as Mr. Trump is removed from the House Republican cabinet.
Read more →
Trump administration transition monitoring
In addition to Gaetz, Gabbard and Hegseth, President Trump announced several other personnel changes in the past 24 hours.
President Trump selects tech billionaire Elon Musk and conservative activist Vivek Ramaswamy to head a new Department of Government Efficiency, an election that will give Musk full oversight of government spending. He fulfilled his promise. A week after Election Day, impressions are beginning to fade among those who have been close to Mr. Trump longer and who view his role in the transition as overreaching. Trump said he would nominate John Ratcliffe to head the CIA. Ratcliffe is a former congressman from Texas who served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, but Trump announced that William McGinley would become his White House adviser. McGinley has long been a fixture in the Republican legal community and served as a Cabinet secretary during the first Trump administration. And Special Counsel Jack Smith and his team are scheduled to resign before Trump takes office. Mr. Smith’s office has been considering the best way to end work on two unresolved federal criminal cases against Mr. Trump, given the Justice Department’s longstanding position that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime. Ta.
Loyalty, trust, and a ‘sledgehammer’ to Trump: A preview of Vance’s vice presidency
Written by Henry J. Gomez
Vance has said little about his vision for the vice presidency, other than mentioning a few areas of policy interest, such as immigration. As a candidate, he stuck closely to Trump’s playbook, filling in the blanks where necessary, but surpassing the man who drew support and defected from candidates in Ohio’s crowded 2022 Republican Senate primary. There was very little.
Those who have watched Vance’s meteoric rise expect it to continue even as he prepares to run for president in 2028. Trump and Vance’s allies believe that loyalty is Vance’s greatest quality and the wisest strategy for the administration’s short-term future. And also for his long-term political future.
“They will focus on any issues that the president directs,” said a person familiar with Trump and Vance’s relationship.
Since Vance’s well-documented transition from Trump critic to supporter, his unwavering loyalty to Trump has been his calling card, and the two have strengthened their bond as vice presidential candidates. They talk on the phone all day, every day. After voting on Election Day near his home in Cincinnati, Vance told reporters he missed a 3 a.m. phone call from Trump hours earlier. Trump was on his way home from his last campaign rally, but Vance was already asleep.
Vance may have made his policy views clear, but he is seen in Trump circles as a savvy political operator, not an ideologue, campaign officials said. Those close to Mr. Trump do not see Mr. Vance as someone who would spend political capital pursuing policies that run counter to him. What would best serve Vance’s political ambitions, the official said, would be a successful Trump administration free of infighting in which he could shine.
Part of Mr. Vance’s portfolio could be built around his constitutional role as president of the Senate, which Republicans will control next year, and he is typically only required to cast tie-breaking votes. Mr. Vance will be Mr. Trump’s “eyes and ears” in the chamber, according to a person familiar with the relationship.
“JD wants to be a hammer against Trump in the Senate,” the source said.
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🗞️ More top news today
🤝 Back on the Ellipse: President Trump returned to the White House for the first time since losing the election to meet with President Joe Biden for a ceremony marking the peaceful transfer of power. Continue reading → 🗳️ It’s not over yet: Pennsylvania’s Senate race is headed for a recount, but the narrow margin between Republican Dave McCormick and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey automatically triggers a recount under state law. Ta. Continue reading → ☑️ Latest announcement of candidacy: The next Congress will include two House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, and NBC News reports that Reps. David Valadao and Washington State Rep. Dan Newhouse are predicted to win. Re-elected. Continue reading → 📺 Divided tickets: Cracks have emerged in messaging strategies in four battleground states where Vice President Kamala Harris lost but Democratic Senate candidates won. While Harris and her outside allies focused on future plans, the candidates who voted against her spent significant advertising time touting their accomplishments. Continue reading → 🙅 Phase 1: Republican Eric Hovde refuses to concede defeat in Wisconsin Senate race, rejecting results despite lack of evidence of fraud in last week’s election It’s raising questions. Read More → 💲 Inflation Watch: Price inflation rose further in October as voters began voting in a presidential election in which economic concerns played a large role. Read more →
That’s all from the political desk. If you have any feedback, love it or hate it, email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com.
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