Trump Gives Condition for New Senate GOP Leader: Agree to Recess Appointments

On Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump gave one crucial condition for the three candidates currently vying for the position of Senate Majority Leader.

As The Hill reports, the soon-to-be 47th President demanded that the new Senate GOP Leader must allow him to make recess appointments to his new administration, allowing him to fast-track nominees without requiring tedious voting sessions from the Senate. Recess appointments can last for up to two years without the approval of the Senate.

“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,” President-elect Trump declared in a post on X. “Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY!”

There are currently three senators jockeying for the top spot in the Republican caucus, as outgoing Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is finally stepping down from leadership: Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), former Senate GOP Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.).

Although Scott was originally seen as the underdog against the more establishment candidates in Thune and Cornyn, the junior senator from Florida has gained traction due to being the clear favorite of the grassroots base. His candidacy for the top spot has also been endorsed by billionaire Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and a prominent backer of President Trump.

Following the president-elect’s post, Scott made his own post saying “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.”

Thune also appeared to support President Trump’s calls for recess appointments, saying that “we must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s nominees in place as soon as possible, & all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments.”

Cornyn, however, suggested that he would prefer to keep the Senate in session rather than resort to recess appointments, saying that “it is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President @realDonaldTrump‘s cabinet appointments. If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent.”

Cornyn then went on to add that “additionally, the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments.”

Another condition put forward by Trump is that Senate Republicans should block all remaining judicial confirmations until he is re-inaugurated in January.

“Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership,” Trump wrote. “THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!”

President-elect Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, January 20th, 2025. He will take office with a new majority in the Senate, as the Republican Party managed to flip four seats for a new total of 53 Republican senators.