Musk, RFK Jr., and other MAGA stars back Scott for leader

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, have joined other MAGA celebrities in calling on Republican senators to elect Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) as the next Senate majority leader.

Musk and RFK Jr. were just two of several prominent Trump allies, including conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson and Vivek Ramaswamy, to back Scott in hopes of shaking up a race where Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) are viewed as the frontrunners.

“Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Musk posted on his social media platform, X.

Musk reposted Scott’s pledge on X to “do whatever it takes” to get Trump’s nominations through the Senate “as quickly as possible” by allowing the president-elect to make recess appointments, something that hasn’t happened in years.

“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner. Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more,” Trump tweeted.

Senate leaders in both parties have agreed in recent years to hold ceremonial “pro-forma” sessions every few days during an extended recess to prevent the sitting president from making emergency appointments.

Senate majority leaders in both parties, whether current Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) or Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), when he controlled the chamber’s agenda, agreed to hold pro forma sessions when their party controlled the White House in order to get the minority party in the Senate to agree to recess the chamber for extended periods.

Kennedy Jr., who has been promised a senior position in the Trump administration, warned on X that “without Rick Scott, the entire Trump reform agenda wobbly.”

Carlson accused Thune and Cornyn, who have served in the Senate since 2005 and 2002, respectively, and who are close allies of McConnell, of secretly hating Trump.

“What the hell is going on in the U.S. Senate? Hours after Donald Trump wins the most conclusive mandate in 40 years, Mitch McConnell engineers a coup against his agenda by calling early leadership elections in the Senate. Two of the three candidates hate Trump and what he ran on,” Carlson posted on X.

Both Thune and Cornyn have clashed with Trump in the past but they are pledging to work closely with him if elected Senate majority leader.

Thune spoke to Trump the day after he won the election and visited him at Mar-a-Lago in March to mend fences.

Cornyn spent time with Trump recently in Austin, Texas and last month attended a rally with Trump in Reno.

Vivek Ramaswamy, who also may be in line for a senior position in the Trump administration, also endorsed Scott.

“Said it earlier this year & I’ll say it again: @ScottforFlorida for Senate Majority Leader,” Ramaswamy posed on X.

But the biggest star in the MAGA universe, Trump, has yet to make an endorsement in the Senate leadership race.

Thune and his allies last week urged Trump to stay out of the leadership race, a request that appears to be being ignored by figures close to the president-elect.

“I’m staying in regular contact with him and with his team and, obviously, if he wants to, he could exert a considerable amount of influence on that but, honestly, I think my preference would be and I think it’s probably in his best interest to stay out of [the race,]” Thune told CNBC’s Joe Kernen.

“These Senate secret-ballot elections are probably best left to the senators and he’s got to work with all of us when it’s all said and done,” he said.

Trump endorsed Scott when he challenged McConnell for the Senate Republican leader’s job after the 2022 midterm election, when Democrats increased their Senate majority to 51 seats.

McConnell handily defeated Scott by a vote of 36-10.

Several MAGA-allied Republican senators also announced their support for Scott over the weekend, including Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.).

“Any leader of this new majority must be able to work hand-in-hand with President Trump to advance his America First agenda. The Senate must lean into advancing this agenda. That’s why I want to see a Senate Majority Leader who can join me in embracing the Trump agenda, which will unify Senate Republicans. On Wednesday, I will be voting for Rick Scott,” Hagerty posted on X.

The Tennessee senator is also thought to be on the short list to serve in Trump’s Cabinet.

Tuberville argued that Scott would also be able to best deliver results for Trump’s “mandate.”

“The nation delivered a mandate on Tuesday. They want @realdonaldtrump’s America First agenda, and they want it now,” he posted on X.

“Sen. Rick Scott represents millions of Americans from Alabama to California who voted for a unified Republican government. I’m proud to support,” he wrote.

Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) also expressed support for Scott over the weekend.

“I will be voting for my Florida colleague @ScottforFlorida to be our next Senate GOP leader,” Rubio posted on X.

Lee, who nominated Scott for leader when he challenged McConnell in 2022, wrote: “Rick Scott speaks the truth.”

Republican senators will convene at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to elect their new leadership team.

McConnell is retiring as Senate GOP leader after 18 years in the job. He says he will serve the remainder of his Senate term, which runs through 2026.