Florida Rick Scott, backed by Elon Musk and several other high-profile members of the MAGA world, lost his bid to be the next Senate Majority Leader on Wednesday.
The role will be held by South Dakota Senator John Thune, who came out on top after a two-round voting process, as no candidate initially achieved a majority on the first secret ballot, sources revealed to FOX News. In fact, those same sources revealed Scott received the least amount of votes and was knocked out of the second voting round.
Despite counting with the highest number of public endorsements, including from prominent conservatives like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, Scott failed to win enough votes, with Thune receiving at least 27 votes from the 53-member conference during the secret ballot.The South Dakota Senator is now set to assume leadership in January.
"I am extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate in the 119th Congress, and I am beyond proud of the work we have done to secure our majority and the White House," Thune said in a statement released after the vote. "This Republican team is united behind President Trump's agenda, and our work starts today," he added.
Honored to serve as the next U.S. Senate majority leader. pic.twitter.com/zq9XLrPDUr
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) November 13, 2024
The candidates pitched to their fellow Republican senators Tuesday night on how they would implement Republican priorities as the GOP prepares for the new Congress, including Trump's mass deportation plan. An anonymous source who witnessed the pitches told Fox News Scott's pitch did not "sway" the senators, "He focused more on his time as a businessman instead of priorities for the Senate."
Following his loss, Rick Scott reiterated his mission to "fundamentally change how the Senate operates and upend the status quo so we can actually start representing the voters who put us here." The Florida Senator also thanked "my friend President Trump" and every American "from every corner of the country" who supported him. He concluded his statement by pledging his support for Thune's success in "accomplishing President Trump's agenda."
I may have lost the vote, but I am optimistic. I ran for leader with one mission: to fundamentally change how the Senate operates and upend the status quo so we can actually start representing the voters who put us here. When I announced, I said that we are in a moment where we…
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) November 13, 2024
MAGA supporters reacted swiftly on social media, accusing Thune of being a "Trump-critic" and calling every senator who voted for him a "traitor." One user claimed the Senate was off "to a bad start" and branded Thune a "never-Trumper" for pulling his endorsement of Trump during the 2016 presidential race.
Another user, who described himself as a "Reagan Republican" applauded Thune's victory and said he was "glad to see limits put on UltraMAGA's influence," adding, "The Senate is not supposed to be a president's rubber stamp."
Thune has had a rocky relationship with Trump. He called for Trump to drop out of the 2016 presidential race following the release of his infamous 2005 audio containing sexually aggressive remarks and condemned him for the 2021 Capitol riot. Despite being a vocal critic, Thune declared to have voted for Trump in every election.
The Republican Senator wrote an op-ed Monday for Fox News, in which he emphasized his commitment to prioritize border security and the economy. "The Republican Congress must ensure President Trump has the necessary tools and support to enforce border security laws and to remove the violent criminals wreaking havoc in every state," he wrote.
He also expressed his allegiance to the president-elect and his willingness to unify the Senate, "We have an ambitious agenda, and it will take all of us – each and every Republican – working together with President Trump's leadership to achieve it. If we don't successfully execute on our mandate, we risk losing the coalition that swept Republicans into office up and down the ballot."
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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