On Wednesday, two Republican leaders in the Senate gave Donald Trump their “soft support” as the party’s probable presidential nominee, but they also told him to use his win in New Hampshire as motivation to reach out to independent voters more.
As the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has stated his intention to back Trump should the former president receive the party’s endorsement, but he has made no indication that he will endorse until the primary has concluded. After Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, Thune—who had a tense relationship with Trump before his 2022 Senate reelection campaign—admitted that voters are “breaking heavily” for Trump, who is “in a commanding position.”
“I have consistently stated that I will back the nominee. According to Thune, “I will do everything in my power to help the team win the presidency” if he is nominated.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) shares this view; he has not endorsed Trump and stays mum when asked about him, but he has promised to back the Republican candidate for president. On Wednesday, McConnell’s leadership counsellor, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), stated that he will not endorse in the primary but will back the party’s nominee whatever.
The fact that Trump opponent Nikki Haley did so well among independents and swing voters in New Hampshire should show the Trump camp that they are vulnerable outside of the party’s core supporters, according to Thune and Tillis.
Tillis stated that the Trump campaign will need to “reach out and convince” independents.
Representing Trump, Thune told reporters that “his message is going to have to appeal to those independent voters.” This would be necessary for Trump to overcome Biden.
While more and more Republicans in the Senate have embraced Trump or said they will if he gets the nomination, they still fall behind their House colleagues in terms of Trump support.
Although neither Tillis nor Thune has shown any signs of endorsing Trump fully at this time, two of the “three Johns”—a term popular on Capitol Hill for Thune, Senate GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso (Wyo.), and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), all of whom are considered possible successors to McConnell upon his departure—are openly in support of the former president.
The relationship between Thune and Trump has been tense at times. After Republican Senator Thune admitted what everyone saw coming, that the then-president’s attempts to rescind the 2020 election on January 6th would fail, Trump unleashed a barrage of criticism. Though Thune breezed to reelection in 2022, Trump still demanded a primary challenger.
