John Thune is the next leader of the Senate

The GOP’s support for Donald Trump’s 2020 White House and the challenge of his alleged support for his role as a former Fox News anchor

“I am extremely proud of the work that we have done to secure our majority and White House and I am very honored to have the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate,” he said in a statement. The Republican team is unified in their support of President Trump’s agenda.

Confirming Trump’s Cabinet nominees will be the first order of business in January. Thune, who serves on the Senate Finance committee, has signaled that renewing Trump’s tax cuts that were enacted in 2017 are the top legislative priority. Congressional Republicans are planning to use a process known as budget reconciliation to approve a package that could renew those tax breaks that are expiring at the end of 2025 and further lower corporate tax rates. Top leaders are also planning to move energy and immigration bills.

Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News anchor and CEO ofTesla, supported Scott and launched a campaign to urge Republican senators to back him. Some Trump allies also questioned whether Thune’s past public criticism of the former president following Jan. 6, 2021, could be an impediment.

But the closed-door, secret-ballot contest revealed that Thune’s longtime relationships with colleagues and experience were the critical factor in elevating him.

The 2017 White House Campaign for the First Full-Semerial Election: The Case for Rep. Mike Johnson in the House of Representatives

The news of full congressional control came hours after House Republicans selected Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for his first full term in the role. On the House floor, Johnson needs 218 votes to be elected. An expected narrow majority means Johnson will need near unanimous support from GOP members to be reelected.

President-elect Donald Trump will once again have allies on Capitol Hill in place to enact key items on his agenda, like border security. Republicans are also already planning an extension of the tax cuts Trump enacted in 2017 — the last time he and his party had control of the White House and Congress.

The campaign for control of the House was waged on a narrow playing field of roughly three dozen competitive districts. While the presidential campaign was centered in seven purple states in the Midwest and the Sun Belt, the contest for the House featured a cluster of critical swing races in the blue states of New York and California.