President-elect Trump voices approval for John Thune as Senate leader

South Dakota official wins President-elect approval after earning elite job on Capitol Hill

South Dakota’s Sen. John Thune has earned a symbolic handshake from President-elect Donald Trump after years of cool relations between the two GOP leaders.

Trump broke his silence Thursday about the longtime Republican senator’s selection majority leader of the U.S. Senate, taking to social media to congratulate Thune on winning the job in a highly contested, intraparty race.

“Congratulations to Senator John Thune, the newly elected Senate Majority Leader,” Trump wrote. “He moves quickly and will do an outstanding job. I look forward to working with him!”

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Trump also expressed excitement to work alongside other Republican leaders in the coming year.

Thune, 63, has maneuvered skillfully in the Trump-controlled GOP to get back into the good graces of its leader and figurehead after the two publicly sparred following the 2020 election over the integrity of President Joe Biden’s victory.

Though Trump declined to make any endorsements in the majority leader race, many of his most vocal supporters and allies voiced apprehension about a Senate with Thune at the helm, given the majority leader-elect’s prickly relationship with the New York businessman-turned-politician.

Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump’s pick for DHS secretary who’s also been critical of Thune’s level of support for the president-elect in the past, also congratulated Thune on social media earlier in the day.

After winning the position Wednesday, Thune told The Dakota Scout he planned to work closely with Trump to advance his agenda through the upper chamber.

And Thursday, he thanked the president-elect for his support.

“Thank you, President Trump,” Thune posted on his social media accounts. “I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”

Among Thune’s first challenges as Senate Majority Leader will be assisting Donald Trump in filling out his staff and cabinet with appointments that require a majority of the Senate to confirm. Both men have expressed an interest in potentially utilizing “recess appointments,” a maneuver allowing cabinet nominations to be confirmed without action from the Senate.

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