Rick Scott brings close Trump allegiance to Senate leadership race

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was initially seen as the underdog in the race to succeed Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as Senate Republican leader, but he is touting what sets him apart from his two rivals: his close personal ties to former President Trump.

Senate aides have said Scott is unlikely to be selected as majority leader if Trump loses to Biden in November, but he could make a compelling case to his colleagues that he has a direct line to the president if Trump wins a second term.

“I have known President Trump since before we both ran for office of any kind,” Scott wrote in a letter to his Republican colleagues on Wednesday.

He became the first Republican senator to travel to New York last week to support Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan, and met with Trump in person before announcing his leadership run.

Scott told Fox News that Trump told him he was “excited” about running for leadership.

“We need fundamental change. I spoke to Mr. Trump about this today. He said he was excited about me joining the campaign,” he said. “We’re going to change the Senate. And we’re going to be the Senate that helps Donald Trump deliver on his conservative agenda.”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), one of Trump’s closest allies in the Senate, noted that Trump is “a Florida native, so he’s always been there for Rick.”

He also noted that Trump campaign senior adviser Susie Wiles previously worked closely with Scott, helping him run for governor of Florida.

But Tuberville questioned whether Trump would interfere in the election.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think the president is going to take sides, I really don’t. [Trump’s] “I’ve spoken to Thune and Cornyn,” he said. “I don’t think he should intervene. We’re a separate group.”

Scott’s rivals for the top Senate Republican seat, Republican Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota and John Cornyn of Texas, also reached out to Trump before announcing their candidacy.

But they also have a history of rebelling against some of Trump’s provocative rhetoric and questioning his electability, particularly his appeal to independents and swing voters.

Since taking office in 2019, Scott has demonstrated his unwavering loyalty to President Trump, and in 2021, when he served as Chairman of the Republican Senatorial Committee, he presented President Trump with the “Champion of Freedom” award on behalf of the committee, making him the first person to receive the award.

Scott’s biggest disagreement with Trump during his Senate career was over his urging Trump to attend Biden’s inauguration in January 2021.

Both Thune and Cornyn have emphasized their track records of carrying out President Trump’s policies as Senate Republican leaders.

Cornyn served as House whip for the first two years of President Trump’s administration, helping pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and nominate conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Thune took office in 2019 and helped President Trump pass a landmark COVID-19 relief bill and confirm conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

Thune and Cornyn said Scott’s entry into the race wasn’t a surprise.

“He’s spoken about it. Again, this is an open election. Anyone who wants to run has the right to run. You know, this is a small district, 49 people. [it’s] “There will be a few more after the next election, but we all need to get out there and make our case to our voters and our colleagues,” Thune said.

Asked whether a Trump victory would improve Scott’s chances of winning the election, Thune said “I don’t know the answer to that.”

“We’ll see what happens in the fall election. All I know is who the voters are. We’ve got to do everything we can to get their vote and get them on our side. I think they’re going to make a decision based on who they think will be the best leader for this conference,” he said.

Senator Cornyn on Thursday did not entertain the idea that Scott would be Trump’s nominee.

“In my experience, these races are the ultimate insider elections, built on trust and relationships within the conference, so I don’t think this one will be any different,” he said.

Both Thune and Cornyn have pledged to work closely with Trump if he returns to the White House, something many Republican senators want after years of feuding between Trump and McConnell.

While Trump may not intervene to tilt the leadership race in favor of one candidate or the other, his relationship with the future leader could be an important factor in how Republican senators vote, especially first-term senators and newer senators who are more MAGA-leaning.

“I think we need to come together as a group. We don’t need to continue to be divided, and we’re not going to,” Tuberville said. “We need to have a more united group, and obviously [Trump] If he is elected, we will support him in any way we can.”

Tuberville said Scott knows Trump better than Thune or Cornyn.

“I suggested to Cornyn and Thune, ‘You have to get to know the president and support him,'” he said. “Whoever the leader is, they need to work very closely with the president because the president only has four years in office and the first two years are very important.”