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U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) speaks during an interview with Reuters in his office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2023.
Thune takes the helm of the Senate
John Thune has ascended to the top position in the Senate, replacing Mitch McConnell, who held the position for 18 years. In the position, Thune will be tasked with managing Donald Trump's demands, keeping 53 Republican senators in line, and advancing a complex legislative agenda.
In the near term, he will need to oversee the confirmation of Trump nominees – many of which are cloaked in controversy – through a tightly divided Senate, where he can only afford to lose three Republican votes assuming Democrats remain united in opposition.
Thune also plans to pass a comprehensive bill combining border security, military spending, and energy production in the first month or so of the Senate’s term, which convenes on Friday. Doing so will require procedural maneuvers to avoid the filibuster, while simultaneously working to reform Senate operations.
But Thune’s greatest challenge will likely be pleasing Trump, who he has crossed in the past. During his term as the Senate’s second-most powerful Republican, Thune chose not to back Trump’s challenge to the 2020 election outcome and voted to certify the results.