Republican Leader in US Senate Also a Yes-Man? Musk Speaks Out for Scott Instead of Trump

This Week's Republican Senate Majority Leader Election
Trump Demands 'Recess Approval' from Candidates
Warns of Congressional Checks Being Undermined in Cabinet Formation

Starting January next year, the U.S. Republican Party, which will become the majority party in the Senate, will elect its Senate Majority Leader this week. While President-elect Donald Trump is deliberately avoiding mentioning any specific preferred candidate, close associates such as Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have consecutively declared their support for Senator Rick Scott (Florida), trying to build momentum. Analysts are pouring in with the view that Trump, who frequently clashed with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell during his first administration, now wants a ‘yes-man loyalist’ in Congress who can effectively neutralize any checks and balances. He has also indicated plans to use ‘Recess Appointments’ to bypass congressional oversight during the cabinet formation process.

Rick Scott Republican Senator Photo by AP Yonhap News

On the 10th (local time), Musk posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, “Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader.” Senator Scott from Florida is currently the weakest candidate within the three-way race for the leadership position but is considered the most favorable to President-elect Trump.

Kennedy Jr. also officially expressed his support for Scott on the same day, stating, “Without Rick Scott, Trump’s entire reform agenda could be shaken.” Tucker Carlson, a far-right commentator formerly with Fox News, claimed, “Rick Scott is the only candidate who agrees with Trump’s views.” Senator Marco Rubio, who is mentioned as a candidate for Secretary of State in Trump’s second-term cabinet, also officially stated he would vote for Scott.

The key question is whether these endorsements from Trump’s closest allies will translate into votes within the party. The election to choose the next Senate Republican leader, succeeding McConnell, is scheduled to be held by secret ballot on the 13th. The race has been narrowed down to a three-way contest among Senators John Cornyn (Texas), John Thune (South Dakota), and Rick Scott. The Guardian daily assessed, “This election will be a test of whether the Republican Party will lean further toward the far-right wing aligned with Trump or toward the establishment moderate wing.” CNN reported, “The competition for Republican Senate leadership is intensifying,” adding, “Scott has the support of conservatives and the MAGA faction but remains the underdog. Cornyn and Thune are more popular within the party.”

Instead of endorsing a candidate, President-elect Trump expressed his intention to swiftly carry out cabinet appointments by neutralizing congressional oversight. Through his social network service, Truth Social, he stated, “Any Republican senator aspiring to lead in the U.S. Senate must agree to Recess Appointments in the Senate.” ‘Recess Appointment’ is the authority allowing the president to appoint official nominees without congressional approval during congressional recess. He emphasized, “Without this, confirmations do not happen in a timely manner. Sometimes votes take more than two years. This is what they (Congress) did four years ago.” Judging that the appointment process for his loyal second-term cabinet could be delayed due to Democratic opposition, he preemptively issued guidelines to the Republican Senate.

Senator Scott, who is running for Senate Majority Leader, immediately responded to Trump’s post by saying, “I 100% agree,” and “I will take all necessary measures to pass nominations as quickly as possible.” Senators Thune and Cornyn also expressed agreement that swift action is needed to form the second-term cabinet and prevent obstruction by Senate Democrats. The Guardian noted, “For Trump, this is a way to bypass the confirmation process and quickly form a cabinet,” but also pointed out that “it is controversial.”

Meanwhile, the Republican Party is also on the verge of taking control of the House of Representatives following the Senate. According to CNN, the Republicans currently hold 214 out of 345 total House seats, just 4 seats short of the minimum majority of 218.