Rick Scott is seeking Trump’s mantle in the battle for Republican Senate leader

WASHINGTON – A looming battle between Senate Republicans to choose their next majority leader is becoming an early test of how much power President-elect Donald Trump’s “MAGA” movement will wield in his second term.

The three-way battle to succeed outgoing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., pits Senate Minority Leader John Thune, R-Ky., against Sen. John Cornyn, a former McConnell representative, and the underdog candidate, Sen Rick Scott, on. R-Fla.

The fight will measure the staying power of longtime senior Republicans based on an institutionalist view of the Senate, like Thune and Cornyn, against an emboldened pro-Trump wing that is seeking to crush any remnants of the old GOP if it returns to power .

Scott is trying to claim the latter title, saying in an interview with NBC News on Monday that he would advance “the Trump agenda” if elected.

“I talk to all my colleagues and they are clear about what they want and know that we have to change. They want to be treated as equals and want to be part of a team. You know I have a great relationship with Trump and the Speaker of the House and I’m a businessman. And I will implement the Trump agenda,” Scott said.

Online MAGA influencers have launched an online pressure campaign to oust current and former McConnell lawmakers — and boost Scott — ahead of a candidates’ forum on Tuesday and an expected closed-door election on Wednesday.

Right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson said Scott was the “only candidate who agrees with Donald Trump” and claimed the other two candidates “hate Trump and what he ran for.” (Thune and Cornyn have been critical of Trump in the past, but both supported Trump this year.)

Also billionaire Trump patron Elon Musk approved Scott said Monday: “The new Senate majority leader must respond to the will of the people.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., one of Trump’s key allies on the Hill, encouraged senators to elect Scott to the position. “The Republican conference should elect a leader who represents the people, not the good old fashioned way it has been done for decades,” Greene said in a statement to NBC News.

However, it is far from clear whether the campaign will be successful. The Senate is a notoriously insular body, relatively removed from populist aspirations. Its members serve six-year terms and generally work based on seniority. It would be unusual for Scott to overtake two colleagues who have served much longer, had deeper relationships and each made a contribution to the job.

Most importantly, the election will be conducted secretly. Unlike votes on legislation and nominations — as well as the election of House speaker — votes for Senate leadership are anonymous. That means relationships will be paramount and the online pro-Trump army won’t know how members voted.

“It’s a noisy online presence that ultimately doesn’t translate into votes in the Senate,” said a Senate Republican aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the dynamics of the race. “And senators are reacting negatively to it.”

Most notably, Trump himself has not commented on this, as all three candidates are trying to show their allegiance to Trump.

Scott called Trump in May to ask for his support in the leadership race, something he would be happy about, and his goal is to push Trump to announce his support before Wednesday’s election, according to two people, who are familiar with his way of thinking.

In interviews since Election Day, Scott said he and Trump communicated via text message.

But Scott was cautious when asked by NBC News on Monday whether he believes he has Trump’s support.

“I am happy about any support. He supported me in my run against Mitch McConnell in 2022,” Scott said.

Asked if he was seeking the president-elect’s support, the senator replied: “I’m not going to talk about private conversations.”

“Thune has to lose”

Scott is less popular with his colleagues than Thune and Cornyn; In 2022, he received just 10 votes when he unsuccessfully challenged McConnell for the top job.

Thune and Cornyn have well-established relationships as leaders of the conference, and both donated time and money to help elect the new Republican majority this year.

“It’s Thune’s race to lose,” said Mike Davis, a fierce Trump ally who previously served as a top aide to Senate Republicans.

But Davis said the price of getting into the job will be advancing Trump’s agenda.

“Senate Republicans – especially Senate Republican leadership – must understand that the American people brought President Trump back to the White House with his America First agenda. And any Republican frontrunner who doesn’t agree with that should get the hell out of the way,” he said.

Scott, who just won a second six-year term, said in an interview that his victory in Florida showed that Republicans do not need to moderate their views.

“We never weakened our positions and continued to win,” Scott said in an interview Friday. “If you look across the country now, we are the center of the Republican Party. … The whole country is heading in our direction.”

Even before last week’s election, Scott had sought to build a bridge between House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and his Senate GOP conference and push Mitch McConnell out of relevance. And with Republicans on track to maintain a narrow majority in the House, Scott sees his allegiance to Louisianans as an advantage in the leadership race.

A handful of sitting senators have publicly supported him: Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Rand Paul, R-Ky.; Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. Some of them, like Rubio, Hagerty and Tuberville, were nominated for senior positions in the Trump administration.

And of the three senators in the race to replace McConnell, Scott was the only one to give an interview on the Sunday shows this weekend, touting his “close relationship” with the speaker during a Sunday interview on Fox News.

The interview and the MAGA online campaign were deliberate moves to project a tide of support for the newly re-elected Floridian and put pressure on Thune, who is considered the front-runner.

Trump did it a public demand: The next GOP leader should support his ability to make “pause appointments” to add temporary staff without Senate confirmation.

“I have spent eight months listening carefully to my colleagues about their vision for the next chapter of the Senate Republican Conference, especially as we navigate President Trump,” Thune said in a statement to NBC News. “One thing is clear: we must act quickly and decisively to bring together the President’s Cabinet and other nominees as quickly as possible to begin fulfilling the mandate we were charged with carrying out, and all options are on the table, to achieve this.” happen, including break dates. We cannot allow Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats to block the will of the American people.”

Cornyn promised that if Democrats block Trump’s nominee, “we will stay in session, including on the weekend, until they give in.” Furthermore, the Constitution expressly gives the president the authority to make recess appointments.”

Scott, meanwhile, responded to Trump on X: “Agree 100%.”