Axios: Thune’s next nightmare

Thune’s next nightmare
 
Photo illustration of Senate Majority Leader John Thune overlaid on top of a historical map of the Senate chambers with seats filled in as either red or blue creating rays around his head.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
 
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has one of Washington’s toughest jobs. It could get even harder next year, Axios’ Stef W. Kight writes.

Why it matters: Thune is one of the few Republicans who’s managed to say “no” to President Trump and keep his job.

But the Senate leader could enter the next Congress with diminished power, leading a conference increasingly loyal to Trump.

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Republican control of Congress could weaken, or disappear.

The Senate’s MAGA flank is poised to grow.

Trump — who has been relatively restrained in criticizing Thune despite his unmet demands to pass the SAVE America Act and kill the filibuster — will have nothing to lose in the last two years of his presidency.

🔎 Zoom in: The Senate Republican Conference itself is poised for a drastic power shift away from Thune’s institutionalist wing.

The moderate voices of Sens. John Cornyn (Texas), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Bill Cassidy (La.) will be gone after Trump undercut them. Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) faces a tough reelection fight.

🔮 What’s next: Hardline conservatives and MAGA voices are gaining power.

Longtime thorns in leadership’s side have ascended to committee chairmanships, including Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.), Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Rand Paul (Ky.).

Sen. Mike Lee (Utah) is positioned to lead the powerful Judiciary Committee next year, putting the online MAGA favorite in charge of judicial nominations — including any to the Supreme Court.

A surge of House-bred MAGA energy is also coming. Conservative members — including Reps. Barry Moore (Ala.), Kevin Hern (Okla.) and Harriet Hageman (Wyo.) — are all but certain to join the upper chamber.Get Axios Hill Leaders, our weeknight newsletter from Capitol Hill … Share this story.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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