Republican U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota was elected Senate majority leader, despite his poor record on LGBTQ+ rights. Thune is considered an establishment Republican who has supported Donald Trump in the past, although he has also criticized him at times. Thune won the leadership position in a secret ballot, with insiders revealing the vote count to major media outlets.
Thune’s position as majority leader will last for two years in the upcoming session of Congress, where the Republicans will hold a 53-47 majority. Thune has a mixed record on LGBTQ+ rights, receiving zeroes on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard but also supporting certain initiatives such as Pete Buttigieg’s confirmation and PEPFAR.
Thune has typical Republican views on issues such as abortion, gun control, immigration, energy, and economics. He has sometimes broken with Trump, including calling for him to drop out of the presidential race in 2016 after the Access Hollywood tape. Thune has also rejected Trump’s claims of election fraud and condemned the actions of his supporters during the Capitol riots.
Despite Trump urging South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to run against Thune in the 2022 primary, he easily won reelection. Thune has sought to mend relations with Trump and has expressed support for his agenda. In a statement, Thune said he was honored to lead the Senate and that the Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda.
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