Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) warned Senate Democrats on Thursday not to “become obstacles” toward President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees.
The warning indicates Thune is inclined to facilitate Senate confirmations of individuals nominated by Trump, who won a landslide victory and moved 48 states to the right.
Thune’s statement came one day after Senate Republicans elected him majority leader. Trump did not endorse anyone in the race, although many America First Republicans preferred Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) for the position. Thune is perceived to be close to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), a politician often opposed to the America First agenda.
“If they [Democrats] become obstacles and obstructionists to moving these along,” Thune told Fox News’s Bret Baier. “We’re going to grind them out on the floor of the United States Senate.”
“Do you think Matt Gaetz can get through?” Baier asked.
“I don’t know the answer to that just yet. I mean, obviously, as you point out, there certainly are some skeptics, but he deserves a process,” Thune replied.
“RFK Jr., you think he can get through?” Baier interjected.
“They deserve a process … they’re nominees that the president has made, put forward, and you know, the Senate has the role of advise and consent under the Constitution. They deserve a hearing, and we’ll proceed accordingly,” Thune said.
“If you were to bet, would you have to do recess appointments? You’re saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’?” Baier followed up.
“I hate to say yes or no because I think that’s still an open question. My view is we want to do this the regular way,” Thune explained. “[Let’s] give the Democrats a chance to work with us on getting people in place.”
A recess appointment is a procedure based in the Constitution that allows presidents to fill their administrations while the Senate is in recess. President Bill Clinton used the process to confirm 139 appointments, while President George W. Bush used it to confirm 171 appointments, according to the Congressional Research Service.
“We’re not taking any options off the table,” Thune added.
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former RNC War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.
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