First on Fox: Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.DHe has selected four of his top Republican allies to be part of his informal cabinet, as he looks to make his own impression in the Senate after taking over from GOP leader Mitch McConnell, the longtime Kentucky Republican.
The new Republican leader took advantage of the senator. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.Steve Daines, R-Mont., Markwayne Mullen, R-Oklahoma, and John Cornyn, R-Texas, to advise him in his new role and participate in key leadership meetings.
McConnell had his own group of personally selected senators who joined him in meetings. At times, they included Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, Katie Britt, R-Alabama, Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, Roger Wicker, R-Missouri, and Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska.
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Thune succeeded McConnell as Republican leader. (Getty Images)
Weekly leadership meetings are also routinely attended by elected leaders in the conference, such as Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, Senate Republican Conference Chairman Cotton, Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia, and Republican Conference Vice Chairman James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, and National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Tim Scott, R.S.C.
Each member of Thune's new casual team brings their own style and priorities with them.
Marsha Blackburn
Blackburn brings with her the advantage of her ties to President-elect Trump and his sphere of influence. The Tennessee Republican has her finger on the pulse of the Make America Great Again movement, and in that capacity, she can help keep the leadership team as connected as possible.
She could also try to bridge any gaps between the group of conservative Republicans who have clashed with McConnell: Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, with whom Blackburn has aligned herself on many issues.
In a statement, Blackburn told Fox News Digital: “My role in assisting Leader Thune will be to advance the President's nominees and ensure that we support the President's agenda in the Senate to Make America Great Again.”
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Each of Thon's informal advisors brings different strengths to the table. (Reuters)
Steve Daines
Coming off his stint as NRSC chairman, during which he helped elect a Republican majority to the Senate, Daines will also bring to the table his impressive relationship with Trump and the team he will bring with him to the White House. The senator also sits on the Finance Committee, which will be front and center during the tax debate that Trump has made one of his top priorities. Republicans plan to extend key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 as they are set to expire this year. Daines will be a key mediator between the committee and leadership and will work to advance Trump's agenda.
The Montana Republican, who also sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has basic knowledge of the intersection of politics and politics, as Trump and the GOP set out to accomplish as much as possible in the first 100 days of his administration — including work on several global issues.
“Senate Republicans are ready to get to work on President Trump's agenda of secure borders, lower taxes, safe cities, lower prices, affordable gas, an end to reckless spending and strong national security. I look forward to working with Leader Thune and the party Republican in the Senate. “The rest of our colleagues must deliver these gains to the American people,” Daines said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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Mullen is a key Trump ally and is well-connected in both the House and Senate. (Marquin Mullen for Senate)
Markwayne Mullen
Mullen has made himself invaluable to his colleagues as a key liaison between Trump and the House and Senate. He was the first senator to publicly endorse Thune for the leader role, and was previously part of his running mate's team. His strong relationship with Trump is expected to help guide relations between the chamber and the next president. Notably, Mullen was one of Trump's 2024 campaign surrogates, traveling with both the President-elect and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, in addition to assisting Republican Senate candidates across the country.
“It is an honor to be included at Senator Thune’s leadership table,” Mullen told Fox News Digital in a statement. “From border security and reducing regulations to funding our military and expanding tax relief, Leader Thune is the right person to lead the Senate’s efforts to implement President Donald J. Trump’s America First agenda. I am proud to be in this fight with him. As the leader often says, ‘If There's someone else in a better position to shoot the ball, you always make the extra pass.” This is how we intend to govern this majority, and all hands are ready to serve the American people, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve.”
John Cornyn
As a 22-year Senate veteran and former leadership member, Cornyn brings important experience to Thune's leadership team. The Texas senator is a member of the all-important Budget Committee, and is expected to make passing a budget and curbing federal spending one of his priorities in that capacity. He is also a member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus, which will help facilitate the new advisory board announced by Trump. DOGE will be led by billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Now, at the helm of the Senate, House and presidency, Republicans have their best chance in years to set spending levels.
Cornyn spent more than 22 years in the Senate. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In his final speech, Cornyn laid out his priorities for this Congress. “We have an opportunity to deliver huge victories for President Trump and, more specifically, for the American people, and that comes first through the budget reconciliation process. It's a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” he stressed.
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“We cannot let this go to waste by not seizing this opportunity to address our growing debt,” he said.
“We have a lot of work to do, but this is a great opportunity and I am confident we will not waste it,” Cornyn concluded.
