New Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said his relationship with President-elect Trump is “evolving.”
“There is an alignment of incentives,” Thune said Sunday on NBC News’s “Meet the Press.” “We want to get to the same destination.”
Thune originally backed Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in the GOP presidential primary, but said he and Trump have a relationship where they both understand what each person wants to accomplish.
Thune said he and Trump want the same things and are going to build off what he calls a “powerful combination.”
As Republicans are set to control both chambers of Congress and Trump prepares to take the White House for his second term, the GOP is hopeful it can accomplish many of its goals, even with slim majorities.
During the interview, Thune declined to confirm he would vote “yes” on any of Trump’s Cabinet picks, though he has met with some who he has been “really, really impressed” by.
Thune said the nominees are going to go through a “fair process” where a committee will pose questions.
“There will be some hard questions posed,” he said.
Thune highlighted the desire to provide Trump with the Cabinet he wants but emphasized the Senate’s role to “advise and consent” over the process.
“We have a lot of our senators who take that role very seriously,” Thune said. “And so, we will make sure these nominees have a process, a fair process, in which they have an opportunity to make their cases not only to the members of the committee and ultimately to the full Senate, but also to the American people.”
