(Photo by Peter Foley for Reuters)
Former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) suggested that President-elect Donald Trump’s post-election “honeymoon” period with Republican lawmakers suffered a significant setback during a secret vote in the Senate on Wednesday. Speaking on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, McCaskill, after taking aim at Trump’s cabinet picks, pointed out the Senate’s decision to bypass MAGA-favorite Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and elect Sen. John Thune (R-SD) as majority leader—a move that aligns more with the interests of party moderates and occasional Trump critics.
“Well, first, let’s put this in context,” McCaskill began. “Yesterday morning, the United States Senate gave the back of their hand to Donald Trump. Everybody in the Senate knew that Donald Trump did not want John Thune as leader. Now, why were they able to do that? Because it was a secret ballot, but nonetheless they did it.”
McCaskill argued that this move indicated the GOP’s reluctance to always cater to Trump’s preferences. “Then a couple of hours later, he drops [Matt] Gaetz and [Tulsi] Gabbard [as cabinet appointees],” she added. “Now, I made a list last night of 11 names of senators that I think are most likely to say no to both of these appointments, particularly Gaetz.”
“Keep in mind, a few of these names, like Chuck Grassley (R-IA), he is not running again!” she pointed out. “He got re-elected and he is 90! You’ve got Mitch McConnell, Mitch McConnell is not going to run again. You’ve got Susan Collins (R-ME) who I can’t imagine voting for these people. You’ve got Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), I can’t imagine Lisa voting for these people— you only need three.”
“So I think Trump was sending a letter to the Senate saying one of two things: either I expect the Senate to ignore the part of the Constitution, which says you must give advice and consent, or, two, you’ve got to show me that you have no power,” she added. “I need you to demonstrate to me that the Senate is not in session ever, because what you do does not matter. I just don’t think either one of those are going to sit well with the majority of the United States Senate.” told by Huff Post.
McCaskill’s comments reflect her belief that the fractious relationship between Trump and Senate Republicans will likely continue to hinder his legislative agenda, signaling a shift away from the unity that many GOP members once publicly expressed in support of his presidency. The secret vote to elect Thune, along with the rejection of Trump’s nominees, underscores the growing divide between Trump and some influential figures within his own party.
