Exclusive: Thune plans another leader bid as Senate GOP fights to survive
Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to run for another term as GOP leader, even if Republicans lose the chamber's majority, he told Axios in an exclusive interview Wednesday in his Capitol office.
Why it matters: Thune (R-S.D.) is giving his senators broad leeway and tons of cash to preserve GOP control of the Senate.
"I do see the Senate as a firewall in a lot of ways," Thune told Axios.
"We will spend probably the next two years — if the House flips — trying to do impeachment or investigations, etc.," he said.
Otherwise, the chamber will focus on judicial and executive nominations.
Zoom out: Thune has three ways to help in the "tough environment" for Republicans in 2026. 🪧 1.
Run against Washington: Thune said he understands if GOP candidates need to rhetorically distance themselves from Congress or even fellow Republicans in D.C., including himself.
And when it comes to distancing from President Trump: "In some places the president's coming in, some places he isn't." Candidates can draw their own conclusions, Thune said.
Republican candidates are increasingly concluding that to win their races, they need to break with Trump on some issues. 🗳️ 2.
Vote for your state: Thune's policy with senators is " don't surprise us and when you can, stay with the team," but "do what's in the best interest of you and your state." That could lead to a rebuke of Trump when Democrats force another vote on an Iran war powers resolution, expected before the Senate breaks for October.
People's views have "evolved and changed" as the war has dragged on, he said.
Many senators are "responding to what they're hearing back home." "That's a really hard vote," Thune acknowledged.
" Any time you are committing your country to putting young men and women in harm's way — those are the hardest votes you'll make." He hopes Republicans will stick together to win the vote.
What to watch: Thune wants to give Republicans more votes before the break to champion back home.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.axios.com — the content belongs to Axios.
