A looming battle among Senate Republicans over who to pick as their next majority leader is turning into an early test of how much power President-elect Donald Trump's "MAGA" movement will exert in his second term.
The three-way fight to replace outgoing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky pits Senate Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota against Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a former McConnell deputy, and underdog candidate Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.
The battle will gauge the staying power of long-serving senior Republicans grounded in an institutionalist view of the Senate, like Thune and Cornyn, against an emboldened pro-Trump wing looking to smash any vestiges of the old GOP as he returns to power.
Scott's seeking to claim the latter mantle and told NBC News in an interview Monday that he'll push "the Trump agenda" if elected.
"I talk to all my colleagues, and they are clear what they want and know we need to change. They want to be treated as equals, want to be part of a team. They know I have a great relationship with Trump and the speaker of the House, and I am a business guy. And I will get the Trump agenda done," Scott said.
MAGA influencers online have started an online pressure campaign seeking to sink the current and former McConnell deputies — and boost Scott — ahead of a candidate forum Tuesday and an expected closed-door election Wednesday.
But it's far from clear that the campaign will succeed. The Senate is a famously insular body that is relatively detached from populist fervor, giving members six-year terms and usually operating on seniority. It would be unusual for Scott to leapfrog two colleagues who have served much longer, cultivated deeper relationships and have each paid their dues in pursuit of the job.
Most importantly, the election will be held by secret ballot. Unlike votes on legislation and nominations — as well as the vote for speaker of the House — votes for Senate leadership are anonymous. That means relationships will be paramount and the online pro-Trump army won't know how members voted.
Most notably, Trump himself hasn't weighed in. But he has made one public demand: The next GOP leader should support his ability to make "recess appointments" to temporarily install personnel without Senate confirmations.
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