A New Majority
Today, John Thune was named the Senate Majority Leader. While he may be a McConnell favorite, thus making him bad news to democrats and some republicans in a traditional election cycle, the move signals that Republicans in the senate are prepared to curb the natural impulses for staunch allyship that the American people frequently see from Donald Trump. This is very good news for the country, as Donald Trump stands out as a President who values loyalty and a personality cult over traditional ability to do the requirements of the job (look no further than picking a Fox and Friends host to take on the role of defense secretary). John Thune is respected and well liked, partially because he has always presented himself as someone who would carry out the job of Senate Majority Leader in a way that is more open, transparent, and conducive to the spirit of bipartisan debate on the senate floor.
Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has echoed these sentiments, commenting in his congratulatory message to Thune on the number of bipartisan efforts they have worked on together. While Thune joined in with his fellow contenders in cozying up to Trump to get the top job in the senate majority, his words, to me, showed more of a commitment to the job than to the President-elect. While other nominees have been openly favored by Trump, and Thune was a favorite of McConnell (with whom Trump has had a famously soured relationship), Thune maintained his stance that, and I quote, “We have a job to do”, and that he will work with the incoming president to get that job done. He seems committed to the task, not of appeasing Donald Trump, but of being a leader of an institution that is rich with tradition and entrenched in the function of our government.
I struggle to write anything off as an out and out win at this point, but when examining the record and regard surrounding Thune, it is hard to imagine that Trump’s most outlandish nominees (again, looking at you, Hegseth) will be confirmed to the positions that they are unqualified for. Thune is a serious man, and has a record in the legislature that precedes and supersedes Donald Trump. I believe his appointment to the role firmly sets the tone that was suggested by the contrast between Donald Trump’s electoral and popular victory and the narrow margin by which the legislative branch (the peoples’ branch, if you will), is controlled by republicans. Take note that the majority is not populated by many Trump-backed candidates. I continue to cite Kari Lake as an example, but it is worth remembering that Arizona ousted a MAGA republican from their senate seat, and Harris remained competitive in the state to the end. I will continue to watch and update you until the full picture of your congress is revealed, but I believe that there are many people who did not vote for the democratic candidate, but also did not want Trump to be, in full, Donald Trump. The senate is a stalwart safeguard against the most outlandish whims of the executive branch, and I believe we are seeing a commitment to America, rather than one man in one office.
Thune has mentioned that recess appointments are possible, but I also believe his long tenure in the senate speaks to a level of rationality regarding the incoming cabinet. I believe, as I have said, that Donald Trump is fully incapable of running a functional executive branch, and we may again see the flat structure that staffers experienced in his first term. However, there may be some hope that the cabinet will not be populated with unqualified candidates that are totally in the weeds trying to tackle the most dire of concerns and matters of national security that arise at a moment’s notice. On that same token, if Trump keeps picking republican representatives and senators for positions in his White House, special elections may see the tide of majority turn in the legislature as he continues to create vacancies. Things will certainly be interesting to follow, but I am committed to a measured tone and explaining my responses thoughtfully. This little mini-blog is mostly backed by instinct, and a few hard facts, and from those hard facts I can confidently say by appointing Thune, the senate went against Donald Trump. Let us hope this is merely the first time, not the last.
