Senate Republicans Are Gathering Behind Closed Doors to Pick a New Majority Leader

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

92% : But Cornyn, who served as McConnell's No. 2 before Thune, is also well-liked and has also won some commitments from colleagues.
79% : "Tuberville said that whoever is chosen, he wants to make sure Trump "feels good about it."
59% : Thune, McConnell's current No. 2, has been seen by colleagues as an incumbent of sorts, having taken over for several weeks last year when McConnell was absent due to medical reasons.
57% : McConnell, who has been a force for the party but has repeatedly feuded with Trump, was uncontested when he first became party leader in 2007.
50% : When Trump posted on X Sunday that the new leader "must agree" to allow him to appoint Cabinet members and others when the Senate is on recess, avoiding confirmation votes, all three quickly signaled they were open to the idea.
46% : Scott has run an insurgent campaign outside of the Senate, campaigning publicly as the candidate closest to Trump and winning endorsements from people who are close to the former and future president.
24% : Who senators choose, and whether Trump ultimately endorses a candidate in the final hours, could set the tone for Trump's attempts to assert control over the legislative branch in his second presidency.
18% : One thing all candidates agree on is change from McConnell, who called most of the shots as leader -- a top demand from the far-right faction of the caucus who disagreed with McConnell on aid to Ukraine and increasingly turned on him as he feuded with Trump.
17% : His relationship with McConnell was strained in his first term, and Trump was often frustrated that lawmakers would not fully bend to his will.
5% : Both Cornyn and Thune have drawn closer to Trump in recent months after criticizing him as he tried to overturn his election defeat in 2020.

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