Soon-to-be-ex Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) did as little as he could to boost Republican candidates, advance the base’s top priorities, and secure our elections. So the GOP had a very discouraging midterm election, and yet he has no apology or acknowledgment of wrongdoing. We cannot have leaders like this anymore if we want to win in the future.
There is no mention of the Save America Act or admission that he did not campaign with almost any vulnerable Republican candidates in the X message below from Thune late on election night (he reportedly plans to be minority leader):
Over the last two years, Senate Republicans have put up a strong record of accomplishment that’s created safer streets, more money in Americans’ pockets, and new opportunities for families and businesses to get ahead. After fighting Democrat obstruction at every turn, we prevented the largest tax hike in American history, secured our border in an unprecedented way, confirmed the president’s Cabinet at the fastest pace in two decades, and put strong conservative judges on benches across the country faster than we have since the Reagan administration. I’m proud of our team and everything we’ve done for the American people, and I’m looking forward to the important work we have in front of us over the next few months. As we head into 2027, Senate Republicans will not stand idly by as the far-left, socialist wing of the Democrat Party attempts to unwind everything we’ve done. Thankfully, we still have President Trump in the White House, and we’ll work with him to stop the worst impulses of Democrat extremism. We cannot let their fringe positions become the mainstream.
Thune was part of the reason that Ken Paxton, who was a strong candidate for Senate, somehow did not win in Texas. Democrats went all-out to get James Talarico and the Democrat running for governor across the finish line, and most Republicans, Donald Trump excepted, did nothing to help Paxton or Gov. Greg Abbott. In fact, many Republicans in Texas or the Senate criticized Paxton, undermining him. Heck, there were Texas Republicans who actually publicly supported Talarico. Yes, there was also a demographic shift thanks to illegal immigration in Texas, and also some potential fraud, but some Republican leaders sabotaged their own candidates.
What Thune should have done the morning after the election was apologize profusely and admit that Republicans need to reassess their strategy. He should have acknowledged that not passing the Save America Act, that essentially stonewalling it, was a horrible mistake. He should have acknowledged that restricting military funding workarounds and blocking recess appointments was moronic, now permitting Democrats to control who is in numerous positions. He betrayed us on spending and election integrity. Instead of apologizing, he refuses to learn. Perhaps that was because he did not wish to win? A man who had worked with numerous GOP politicians and strategists once told me that certain Republicans don’t want to win, because they hate the responsibility. They prefer to be in the minority and just whine about Democrats.
Whether Thune is just too arrogant to admit fault or whether he actually wanted to be back in the minority, he is obviously a horrible leader. People like Donald Trump need to start realizing that a lot of politicians in their own party don’t have their backs. Obviously, many of the voters who cast their ballots for Trump and the Republicans last time either did not show up or voted for Democrats. There was a reported shift among young men in favor of Democrats, for instance.
Republicans cannot rely on the fact that certain economic numbers went up and that Democrats love terrorists and perverts. People like Thune should not be among top Republican leadership, and JD Vance is right now also undermining the Trump administration's foreign policies, blaming Israel just as Tucker Carlson would. We can see who the people are who are not interested in learning the right lessons and truly listening to the base.
Trump backed Thune for majority leader, and he cannot do so if Thune really does try to be minority leader. We need to kick these worthless do-nothings out of the party. The days when we can afford to have spineless moderates at the top in the GOP are long gone. We can only have people who are patriotic and enthusiastic and as dedicated to the Constitution as the Democrats are to their evil ideas.
