Thune, 63, defeated Elon Musk’s candidate Rick Scott and another McConnell protege John Cornyn in secret voting on Wednesday. That may be the biggest flash point between Trump and establishment-minded party members who dominate the Senate Republican Conference. Congress has given the president broad authorities to modify tariffs to address national security and other concerns, so Trump’s tariffs may not require a congressional vote. 2 Senate Republican since 2019 and was also chairman of the Commerce Committee dealing with issues ranging from social media to telecom regulation. The exemption will be cut in half in 2026 unless Congress acts to extend or expand Trump’s 2017 tax law.
