Scott Losing Senate Majority Leader Race Deemed 'MAGA' Loss

The race for Senate Majority Leader has come to an end, and South Dakota Senator John Thune (R) has won. He will replace Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R), who is the longest-serving leader in Senate history. President Donald Trump's (R) supporters however aren't happy with the results. With the president's supporters backing Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) for Senate Majority Leader, the loss could be considered the first "MAGA" defeat.

Texas Senator John Cornyn (R) joined Senators Scott and Thune in the race this week.

Ahead of the vote, the Republican Liberty Caucus released their "Liberty Score" comparing all three candidates. The score showed that Senator Scott was "the most principled choice" for Senate Majority Leader.

The senators met behind closed doors today, opting to vote by secret ballot. According to NBC News, there were two rounds of voting. In the first round, Senator Thune picked up 23 votes, Senator Cornyn picked up 15 votes, and Senator Scott picked up 13 votes, which resulted in Senator Scott being eliminated. Then, Senator Thune won in the second round with 29 votes compared to Senator Cornyn's 24 votes.

The results have sparked outcry from President Trump's supporters who argue that both Senators Cornyn and Thune are similar to Senator McConnell, adding that the "DC establishment" and the "Swamp" have maintained control by electing Senator Thune.

In a statement, Senator Scott commented that he remains "optimistic" about the future under Senate Majority Leader-elect Thune.

"I ran for leader with one mission: to fundamentally change how the Senate operates and upend the status quo so we can actually start representing the voters who put us here," he said. Calling this period in politics "a moment where we need dramatic change," he added that "the voters confirmed that last week when they elected President Trump and Republicans took the majority in both chambers of Congress with a clear mandate."

Former Florida Rep. Debbie Mucarsel Powell (D), who unsuccessfully ran against Senator Scott in the 2024 elections, also released a statement, saying that he lost the senate leadership position because "he's too extreme."

"Rick Scott failed AGAIN to become Senate Majority Leader," she wrote on social media. "He promised Floridians he'd win that race, and he failed because he's too extreme even for this Republican caucus," she added, calling him a "fraud."