Tag Archives: John Thune

Next Senate GOP Leader Will Likely Be Named “John”

The Texas Tribune reports: This could be John Cornyn’s moment. After years serving among the top of Senate Republican leadership, Texas’ senior senator has a chance at the job he has long wanted: Senate Republican leader. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his plans to retire from the post Wednesday. Two other senators have emerged as potential contenders for the job. …

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Second-Ranking Senate Republican Endorses Trump

CNN reports: GOP Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, is endorsing former President Donald Trump as the party’s nominee, his office confirmed to CNN. The backing from the South Dakota Republican, who has been critical of Trump, is the latest indication of the former president’s grip on the party as he barrels toward the nomination. It’s …

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GOP “Shadow Race” Underway To Succeed McConnell

The Hill reports: “I think the leadership race is well underway and this accelerates that,” said a Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss the fallout from McConnell’s health episode before television cameras Wednesday. The lawmaker noted that Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) ran the Senate floor this month during the debate and votes on the annual defense authorization …

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GOP Senators To Trump: Stay Out Of Our Primaries

The Hill reports: Senate Republicans, including members of leadership and even Trump allies, say former President Trump should stay out of the 2024 Senate primaries, hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s disappointing midterm elections. They view Trump as becoming more of a political liability in next year’s Senate races as his legal problems mount. Senate Republican Whip John …

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Republicans Ponder Successor To Ailing McConnell

The Hill reports: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) extended absence from the Senate has stirred speculation among Republican senators over how much longer the 81-year-old senator will lead the Senate GOP conference. There’s no word yet on McConnell’s date of return, but some lawmakers expect he may not come back to the Senate until mid-April, after the two-week Easter …

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Lindsey Graham Waffles On Endorsing Trump For 2024

Politico reports: Trump is keeping a careful watch on who in GOP leadership has endorsed him, even before he has officially announced he is running for president again, which he’s expected to do on Tuesday night. But if he is expecting an avalanche of support, he’ll be waiting a while. Even his staunchest allies declined to offer an endorsement on …

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Thune Drubs QAnon Riot Attendee In Senate Primary

The Argus Leader reports: South Dakota Sen. John Thune dispatched his two primary contenders Tuesday with relative ease. Facing his first primary challenge since winning office in 1996, Thune was winning with 73% of the vote as of 10:50 p.m.. Bruce Whalen, had 20% while Mark Mowry had 7%. Both Whalen, 60, and Mowry, 65, contended that former President Donald …

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GOP Sen. John Thune To Seek Reelection After All

CNN reports: South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, announced Saturday he is running for re-election in 2022. “I’ve always promised that I would do the work, even when it was hard, uncomfortable, or unpopular. That work continues, which is why after careful consideration and prayer, and with the support of my family, I’m asking …

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REPORT: GOP Sen. John Thune Is Mulling Retirement

The New York Times reports: Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking Senate Republican and a potential future leader, is seriously considering retiring after next year, a prospect that has set off an intensifying private campaign from other Republicans urging him to seek re-election. Mr. Thune is only 60, but a combination of family concerns and former President Donald …

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Bipartisan Bill Requires Social Media Algorithm Opt-Out

Axios reports: A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has introduced a companion to a Senate bill that would let people use algorithm-free versions of tech platforms, according to a copy of the text shared exclusively with Axios. Recent revelations about Facebook’s internal research findings have renewed lawmaker interest in bills that seek to give people more of a say in …

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“Shouting Match” On Senate Floor After Debt Vote

Politico Playbook reports: A shouting match erupted on the Senate floor after the vote to delay the debt limit crisis for two months. Sens. JOHN THUNE (R-S.D.) and MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah) confronted Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER after he lambasted Republicans in a floor speech immediately following the vote. They thought Schumer should have been more gracious after they threw …

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GOP Sen. John Thune Rips Republican “Cancel Culture”

The Associated Press reports: U.S. Sen. John Thune on Thursday criticized Republican activists and party leaders for engaging in “cancel culture” by rushing to censure GOP senators who found former President Donald Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection. In his first interview since he voted to acquit Trump, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican defended fellow Republicans who sided with Democrats …

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SD Gov Rebuffs Trump On Challenging GOP Senator

The Argus Leader reports: President Donald Trump is calling on South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to challenge fellow Republican Sen. John Thune in his 2022 primary election, despite the governor already saying she will seek re-election of her governorship instead. Noem’s been an ardent supporter of Trump’s during the presidential campaign, making several speaking appearances and fundraising stops for him …

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Trump Calls For Unseating “RINO” Republican Senator

From the right wing Washington Times: President Trump on Friday encouraged South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to launch a primary challenge in 2022 against Sen. John Thune, the No. 2-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate. Mr. Trump said last month that Mr. Thune – who the president called “Mitch’s boy” – will be primaried in 2022, though he didn’t offer …

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Trump Threatens GOP Senator For Opposing Challenge

The Hill reports: President Trump went after Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) on Tuesday as he put pressure on GOP senators to back efforts to challenge the Electoral College vote when Congress meets on Jan. 6. The president lashed out at Senate Republicans on Twitter, claiming that they would have lost seats without his endorsement. Trump also suggested that Thune, the …

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Thune: Challenge Will “Go Down Like A Shot Dog”

Talking Points Memo reports: Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-SD) said Monday that a desperate effort by a a handful of House members in his party to challenge the Electoral College’s results reaffirming Joe Biden as the next president would “go down like a shot dog.” “It’s just not going anywhere,” Thune told reporters on Monday, adding that he knows …

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GOP Senator Warns Of Govt Shutdown This Weekend

The Hill reports: Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) warned on Thursday that the government could briefly shut down over the weekend as talks over a sweeping deal to pass funding and provide coronavirus relief drag on. “I mean I’ve already — I know people who are gonna object to that, that want to keep pressure on the process until …

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GOP Senator: Trump Needs A “Different Tone” To Win

NBC News reports: Senate Majority Whip John Thune sounded the alarm Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s support among independent voters was “soft,” urging a change in strategy in light of a New York Times survey that showed the president trailing Democrat Joe Biden by double digits.The Times/Siena national poll found Biden winning 50 percent of registered voters, with Trump winning …

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Wut?

Mediaite cackles: Those six million people risk losing plans provided through Obamacare, because of a conservative Supreme Court challenge that threatens federal subsidies, that have to be provided federally because GOP governors didn’t establish state exchanges. This is like saying the Bill of Rights threatens your civil liberties because they could be challenged in courts. Actually, a one-sentence fix from …

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