Senator Thune wants President-elect Trump to stay out of the race for Senate GOP leader

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., wants President-elect Donald Trump not to intervene in the election for Senate GOP leader.

Thune said it would be in Trump’s “best interest” to remain neutral in the election, according to a report from The Hill.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., are also running for leader.

Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s son who was deeply involved in Trump’s successful 2024 campaign, once called both Thune and Cornyn RINOs in February.

“RINO Senators John Thune and John Cornyn both want to replace Mitch McConnell once he is finally put out to pasture. Both also voted to send billions more to Ukraine,” he wrote on X. “MAGA must do everything in our power. to prevent either of these two RINOs from ever becoming Senate Majority Leader!”

Scott told The daily signal After Trump’s victory, the Republican Senate conference under outgoing leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been run as a “dictatorship.” He said Trump’s decisive victory calls for new leadership in the Senate.

Scott was elected to a second term on Tuesday. Cornyn was first elected to the Senate in 2002. Thune was elected in 2004.