TO ENDORSE OR NOT TO ENDORSE Many conservatives online are pressing Donald Trump to weigh in on which Senate GOP leader candidate he’s backing. But here’s our gut check: A Trump endorsement — even if it came — might not matter. For months, we’ve asked Senate Republicans about the impact of a Trump endorsement. And we’ve repeatedly heard the same things:
- Many senators aren’t sure the president-elect will endorse — and question whether he should. Some have gone so far as to say that they believe Trump should stay out of the race
- Due to the secret-ballot nature of the election, it might not make a difference.
“Let the senators decide on their own,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told Inside Congress on Monday. Tuberville is a close Trump ally and endorsed Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) for GOP leader over the weekend, citing the need to bolster Trump’s agenda.
“I think everybody should make their own decision. And President Trump, I think it's good he stays out of it,” Tuberville added. And take these thoughts from senators over the summer: “Most senators aren't going to let anybody tell them how to vote and, besides that, it's a secret ballot anyway,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who supports Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) for the next Republican leader, told POLITICO of a potential Trump endorsement. “This is a secret ballot, so I doubt it,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said when asked if Trump’s endorsement would be a factor. Of the candidates, which include Thune, Scott and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Scott is considered the most closely allied with the incoming president. But Cornyn and Thune have both worked to strengthen their relationships with Trump through the campaign cycle. However, that’s not to say Trump doesn’t matter here. Senators have stressed they want someone who can work with the president-elect — and the candidates for leader clearly feel that pressure, quickly addressing new asks from the president, like his idea for permitting recess appointments (more on that below). But GOP senators are indicating that they’re weighing that Trump-collaboration factor without needing an explicit endorsement to guide their thinking. And remember: If Trump did endorse, the secret-ballot system would give anyone who votes against his chosen pick some insulation from blowback. We still don’t know how every senator voted in the last leadership election between Scott and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell. Right now, there are only a handful of public leadership endorsements from fellow senators. Cornyn has one from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). Thune is endorsed by Rounds and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.). And Scott is leading with five. Senators’ efforts to keep their decisions private are intentional; some haven’t made up their minds, and few want to risk backing the wrong horse and face retribution later. “You talk to any one of the senators … people will tell you the same thing: I like all three of them. I'm good friends with all three of them. Any of them would do a good job,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), who is highly likely to be the the next GOP whip, told us last week. One flip-side tidbit: Whoever the next GOP leader is will have to work with Democrats in the upcoming term. Democratic Sen. Peter Welch (Vt.) earlier this month had this to say about the GOP competitors: “I think, clearly, Thune and Cornyn are the front-runners. And I think they're both real responsible institutionalists. I mean, that'll be obviously a Republican decision, but the front-runners, Thune and Cornyn, I think, are both pretty good senators.” — Ursula Perano, with an assist from Jordain Carney GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, Nov. 11, where we’re relishing the last day of recess before all hell breaks loose.
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