Republican senators re-elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as their Senate GOP leader in a closed-door conference meeting on Tuesday, according to Politico. An X post from Libs of TikTok said Thune was selected to serve as Senate minority leader when the new Congress convenes.
Delay push fizzles after ‘stunning losses’
Fox News reported that a small group of Republicans, including Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Josh Hawley of Missouri, sought to delay the leadership elections. In a letter to Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, Fox News said Johnson urged a pause “until we all have a chance to hear from leadership candidates as to what type of collaborative conference governing model we should adopt and what our strategy will be to counter the emboldened Democrats.”
According to Fox News, Johnson called the recent outcome “a stunning defeat” and wrote, “We need to have serious discussions within our conference as to what we can do to improve the outcome in 2028.” He warned that holding immediate leadership elections without that debate would be “political malpractice.”
Politico reported that after Tuesday’s closed-door meeting, Johnson told reporters Thune delivered a “heartfelt speech” and said the GOP base had “unfairly attacked” Thune.
Criticism erupts online
Conservative influencer Rogan Michael John O’Handle, posting as “DC_Draino” on X, called Thune a “backstabber” and vowed, “We will primary this backstabber in 2028.” Another X account, “Chicago Cop,” criticized Senate Republicans for selecting Thune and linked the decision to voter apathy, while citing frustration over the SAVE America Act.
Save America Act frustrations surface
On Benny Johnson’s program, former Trump administration official Hogan Gidley—now an adviser to House Speaker Mike Johnson—said the SAVE America Act is one of “hundreds” of GOP-backed bills Thune was unable to pass in the Senate. In the interview posted to X, Gidley said Mike Johnson “did his job” passing Republican priorities in the House and claimed the SAVE America Act passed the House “four times” but “is still tucked into a reconciliation bill in the Senate.”
Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist, alleged on X that Thune refuses to pass the SAVE America Act because he “believes the Founders prohibited him from having to do work.”
The source material cited Politico, Fox News, and multiple social-media posts. It did not include a response from Thune or his office.
