President-elect Donald Trump’s closest allies are giving the president-elect conflicting advice on whether to make an endorsement in the Senate Republican leadership race, leaving the three candidates in suspense as they work to lock in the requisite votes.
Trump insiders tell us they don’t expect him to get involved. Yet as with all things related to the former and future president, that’s far from a guarantee. In the meantime, prominent Trump loyalists have started to mobilize on Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-Fla.) behalf. And they’re pressuring Trump to formally back Scott ahead of next Wednesday’s election.
Other Trump confidants, like Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), are urging him to stay out of it entirely, believing there’s little upside for Trump. Both Mullin and Daines are supporting Senate Minority Whip John Thune, who said Thursday it’s in Trump’s “best interest” to forgo an endorsement.
In an interview, Mullin told us that’s exactly the case he’s been making to Trump during several conversations since Tuesday.
“There’s no point in wasting the political capital and making two senators mad at you,” Mullin said.
This is new: We’re told Trump has been bringing up the leadership race unprompted during his post-election calls with GOP senators, signaling an interest in how the race is playing out.
Still, those same Republicans say Trump hasn’t shown any signs that he’s preparing to make an endorsement.
Scott, however, is actively seeking it. Scott is telling senators he’s the best person to carry out Trump’s agenda in part because of their close personal relationship and the fact that, unlike Thune and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Scott has never been publicly at odds with Trump.
Scott is also reminding Republicans that Trump’s incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, ran his 2010 gubernatorial campaign, so they’d have that relationship on Day One.
Allies of the Florida Republican have been resurfacing old clips of Thune and Cornyn criticizing Trump or suggesting they wouldn’t support him. Donald Trump Jr.’s criticisms of the pair from earlier this year are making the rounds in conservative media circles.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a Scott supporter, said a Trump endorsement is “probably what Rick’s going to need to become majority leader.”
Mullin dismissed this pressure campaign as self-serving, saying Scott “should try to win it without the president.”
“Rick doesn’t believe he can win it if he doesn’t have the president’s endorsement,” Mullin added.
Thune and Cornyn have worked to repair their Trump relationships. Thune and Trump spoke as recently as Wednesday. And Mullin said the Thune-Trump relationship is solid, “definitely a better relationship than the other one” — referring to Cornyn.
Will he or won’t he? Trump has always had the chance to shake up the race. But after his decisive victory on Tuesday, the possibility of a Trump endorsement has quickly become a focal point in the contest given the considerable weight it would carry.
There are plenty of good reasons for Trump to eschew an endorsement. First and foremost, there’s the risk that whoever Trump backs doesn’t win the race. This is entirely possible given that it’s a secret ballot election.
That would start things off on the wrong foot in 2025 between Trump and the eventual majority leader. Plus, remember that Trump is usually hesitant to endorse in an all-GOP field when it’s not clear to him who will win.
