Thune takes the helm of the Senate

​U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) speaks during an interview with Reuters in his office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2023.
U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) speaks during an interview with Reuters in his office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2023.
REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson

John Thune has ascended to the top position in the Senate, replacing Mitch McConnell, who held the position for 18 years. In the position, Thune will be tasked with managing Donald Trump's demands, keeping 53 Republican senators in line, and advancing a complex legislative agenda.

In the near term, he will need to oversee the confirmation of Trump nominees – many of which are cloaked in controversy – through a tightly divided Senate, where he can only afford to lose three Republican votes assuming Democrats remain united in opposition.

Thune also plans to pass a comprehensive bill combining border security, military spending, and energy production in the first month or so of the Senate’s term, which convenes on Friday. Doing so will require procedural maneuvers to avoid the filibuster, while simultaneously working to reform Senate operations.

But Thune’s greatest challenge will likely be pleasing Trump, who he has crossed in the past. During his term as the Senate’s second-most powerful Republican, Thune chose not to back Trump’s challenge to the 2020 election outcome and voted to certify the results.

More from GZERO Media

- YouTube

Canada’s 45th general election is less than two weeks away, and the nation faces a fraught political climate fueled by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats towards the country. The election's outcome could have far-reaching impacts on Canada’s future and position in a fragmenting world. In an exclusive interview, GZERO’s Tasha Kheiriddin sits down with Eurasia Group‘s senior advisor John Baird and Vice Chairman Gerald Butts to unpack what’s at stake in Canada’s election, including key political players and the strategies behind their campaigns.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 17, 2025.

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

A federal judge set up a showdown with the Trump administration on Wednesday with a ruling that threatens to find the government in contempt if it fails to comply with a judicial order to provide due process to Venezuelans deported to a prison in El Salvador.

Gavin Newsom speaks at the Vogue World: Hollywood Announcement at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, CA on March 26, 2025.
Photo by Corine Solberg/Sipa USA

California governor Gavin Newsom kicked off a campaign to promote Canadian tourism in his state, pitching its sunny beaches, lush vineyards, and world-class restaurants.

An employee checks filled capsules inside a Cadila Pharmaceutical company manufacturing unit at Dholka town on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, April 12, 2025.
REUTERS/Amit Dave

Donald Trump’s administration announced that it is opening investigations into pharmaceutical and semiconductor supply chains, which will likely result in tariffs that will hurt suppliers in Europe, India, and Canada.

Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party speaks after Democrat Josh Stein won the North Carolina governor's race, in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., November 5, 2024.
REUTERS/Jonathan Drake

As the Democrats start plotting their fight back into power in the 2026 midterms, one issue has come up again and again.