Catie Edmondson

And this is where Senator Rick Scott of Florida threw his hat in the ring to challenge John Thune to lead the Senate Republican conference.

And this is where Senator Rick Scott of Florida threw his hat in the ring to challenge John Thune to lead the Senate Republican conference.

That's right. Now, one incredibly important difference between how the House elects the speaker and how senators elect their party leader is that the Senate does it by secret ballot. And by the time the first round of ballots were cast, it was clear that Rick Scott was not going to have the votes to lead the Republican conference at all.

That's right. Now, one incredibly important difference between how the House elects the speaker and how senators elect their party leader is that the Senate does it by secret ballot. And by the time the first round of ballots were cast, it was clear that Rick Scott was not going to have the votes to lead the Republican conference at all.

Yeah, that's absolutely right. It gives them this insulation of plausible deniability that members over in the House certainly do not have. And I think that helped Thune get over the finish line here. But I think a lot of these Republican senators saw Thune as an institutionalist. He actually served as McConnell's deputy. He was McConnell's number two.

Yeah, that's absolutely right. It gives them this insulation of plausible deniability that members over in the House certainly do not have. And I think that helped Thune get over the finish line here. But I think a lot of these Republican senators saw Thune as an institutionalist. He actually served as McConnell's deputy. He was McConnell's number two.

He absorbed a lot of the responsibilities that McConnell kind of had to relinquish as he was dealing with health problems in the last year. And I think they also saw him as someone who wanted to guard the Senate's independence as an institution in a way that Rick Scott was certainly not campaigning on.

He absorbed a lot of the responsibilities that McConnell kind of had to relinquish as he was dealing with health problems in the last year. And I think they also saw him as someone who wanted to guard the Senate's independence as an institution in a way that Rick Scott was certainly not campaigning on.

Well, you know, I think it might be best explained in his own words. Senate Majority Leader Soon, welcome back to Meet the Press.

Well, you know, I think it might be best explained in his own words. Senate Majority Leader Soon, welcome back to Meet the Press.

He actually went on to a Sunday show a couple of days ago and was asked, How would you describe your relationship with President-elect Trump right now? What's your relationship like with Donald Trump? And his response was, Well, you know what?

He actually went on to a Sunday show a couple of days ago and was asked, How would you describe your relationship with President-elect Trump right now? What's your relationship like with Donald Trump? And his response was, Well, you know what?

Which I think kind of tells you all you need to know.

Which I think kind of tells you all you need to know.

Well, Trump himself actually once accused John Thune of being a rhino, a Republican in name only, which is one of sort of the worst political slurs that can be bandied about within the Republican Party.

Well, Trump himself actually once accused John Thune of being a rhino, a Republican in name only, which is one of sort of the worst political slurs that can be bandied about within the Republican Party.

Well, that is because John Thune not only did not support Trump's effort to challenge the 2020 election results, but he also was quite publicly skeptical of that effort to overturn Biden's electoral victory.

Well, that is because John Thune not only did not support Trump's effort to challenge the 2020 election results, but he also was quite publicly skeptical of that effort to overturn Biden's electoral victory.

I actually remember very distinctly a reporter asking Thune in the halls of the Capitol leading up to January 6th, 2021, asking him, John Thune, what do you think about Donald Trump's effort to overturn the election here? And Thune's answer was, I think it's going to go down like a shot dog, which Trump did not take kindly to. But four years later.

I actually remember very distinctly a reporter asking Thune in the halls of the Capitol leading up to January 6th, 2021, asking him, John Thune, what do you think about Donald Trump's effort to overturn the election here? And Thune's answer was, I think it's going to go down like a shot dog, which Trump did not take kindly to. But four years later.