Absolutely not.

Make those opposed to him ask him questions. Make them try to demonstrate why he’s not worthy of the position. LET HIIM DEFEND HIMSELF because he has done nothing wrong.

What he HAS done is gone against the grain and challenged their fellow RINOs with historic results. By putting him through the confirmation process they will essentially try to convict him. Consider it his first warm up match before taking on the most consequential role in the administration.

A recess appointment lets them off the hook. They need to put on public display their disdain for anything or anyone who would dare issue the proverbial search warrant for their DC Country Club. They need to tell the American people why they believe a patriot who doesn’t need the money is somehow more corrupt than they are.

They’ve tried to bribe, bully, and blackmail Matt Gaetz over the years and they’ve failed. That terrifies the UniParty Swamp because it means they won’t be able to prevent him from bringing their crimes to light. For too long they’ve hidden behind procedures and protocols while pretending like everything in the Senate is on the up and up, but it’s clear that the cowards on both sides of the aisle are more interested in protecting their own interests than the interests of the people they represent.

A confirmation hearing for Gaetz will be an excellent test of John Thune’s leadership. Senate Republicans who backed him said we can trust him. This is his chance to demonstrate that.

The UniParty Swamp is using the media to paint a dark picture of Gaetz’s chances of confirmation. Their hope is that President Trump will pick someone less aggressive, or at least use a recess appointment to keep them from having to expose themselves in a public hearing. Neither should happen. President Trump should stick to his guns, put Gaetz in front of the Senate, and make them do their job.

This is our country. They work for us. Let Gaetz go to work, starting with a confirmation hearing. I’m confident that he’ll shine and they’ll have no choice but to confirm him.

But as bad as he is, Senator John Thune would be worse if he is selected as McConnell’s replacement. The secret ballot to determine who will lead the Senate next year is happening Sunday.

On today’s episode of The JD Rucker Show, I will explore why Thune is so bad, why Senator John Cornyn is almost as bad as Thune, and why Senator Rick Scott needs to be the guy. Scott isn’t perfect. Far from it. His embrace of Red Flag Gun Laws is conspicuous and concerning. But compared to his opponents, he’s exponentially better.

Last Tuesday’s historic comeback victory for Donald J. Trump was one for the ages. It sent a clear message to the Democrat Party, Corporate Media, elites, and globalists that Americans are fed up with the agenda they’ve crammed down our throats for the last four years. A majority of voters decided that the America First agenda, championed by Donald Trump and JD Vance, is the playbook for American greatness.

With the election season now in the rearview mirror, Senators will return to Washington and select the next Senate Republican Majority Leader this week. The American people gave Republicans in the Senate a mandate to deliver the platform that President Trump ran on. For this reason, only a Republican Senator that enthusiastically embraces this mandate will receive my support for Majority Leader.

I encourage all my Senate colleagues to listen to the American people and follow suit. Senate Republicans must choose a Senate Republican Majority Leader that reflects the will of the American people. Only Senators who share the President-elect’s America First vision for the next four years should be considered for this job.

First and foremost, any candidate for GOP Majority Leader must commit to prioritizing legislation that closes the border and facilitates deportations, reins in wasteful spending, restores America’s energy independence, reshores American manufacturing, and purges our military of wokeness so it is once again the most lethal fighting force in the world.

The nightmarish last four years of this administration have done serious damage to our Republic. There is no time to waste. The Senate Republican Majority Leader must demonstrate a commitment to passing legislation in each of these categories. The leader needs to go big or go home and deliver on President Trump’s agenda.

In addition to these legislative priorities, the GOP Majority Leader should voice support for enacting reforms to the leader’s powers—decentralizing the authority of the office. My friend and colleague Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has drafted a number of excellent reforms that will give all Republican Senators a seat at the table in order to represent the varying needs of each state and help enact conservative policies to benefit all Americans.

Some of these reforms include allowing rank-and-file conservative Senators the opportunity to vote on amendments on important bills, providing Senators with enough time to review massive spending bills, and providing a schedule for the consideration of separate spending bills instead of jamming through ominous bills at the eleventh hour.

One of the most important reforms proposed by Senator Lee is requiring the majority support of the Senate Republican Conference before moving on legislation. It encourages Republican Senators to unify around bills. In essence, all of these reforms will make sure the Senate is an institution for the people and by the people, not the elites.

In addition to passing legislation that codifies President Trump’s proposed agenda, a prospective Senate Republican Majority Leader must ensure that Senate Republicans are not undermining President Trump’s objectives, legislatively or otherwise. It’s no secret that this has been an issue in the past.

The last thing the President-elect should deal with is a RINO Senate acting as a thorn in his side. President Trump has been through hell and back fighting for the American people. He survived two assassination attempts, partisan lawfare from a corrupt administration, and baseless lies from the Corporate Media who tried their best to keep him out of the White House. The right Senate Republican Majority Leader for the job will make President Trump’s job easier, not harder.

Finally, a Republican Majority Leader needs to have the courage to push back against the corrupt media. The leader of the Republican-controlled Senate should realize by now that the mainstream media has zero credibility and is the enemy of the people. Put simply, if Jimmy Kimmel is upset with Republicans in the Senate, the leader is doing the right thing.

You can expect mainstream media outlets to begin labeling Republicans with the vilest of names these next few years. We saw that repeatedly during President Trump’s first term. A Majority Leader shouldn’t care one bit about what the media is saying. The Leader must commit to delivering an America First agenda to the American people, regardless of what the mainstream media says.

The Senate Republican Conference should have complete confidence in supporting a leader that will adhere to these propositions. For the first time in two decades, a Republican President won the popular vote and the electoral college. Both chambers of Congress are in Republican control. Americans sent Democrats packing, and Republicans to Washington, because it’s unsatisfied with business as usual. Americans want every part of President Trump’s agenda—and they want it now.

For these reasons, I am supporting Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) for Majority Leader. He has been a champion for the America First movement and will shake up the status quo in Washington.

As my Senate colleagues return to Washington, I will encourage all of them to take these ideas into consideration. By selecting the right Senate leadership, we can deliver on the American people’s mandate and restore faith in our system of government. A new American Golden Age is within reach, and Senator Rick Scott can help President Donald Trump deliver for all Americans.

But it’s often hard to quantify for the general public why one Republican is better or worse than another. Senator Rick Scott appears to be the the consensus choice for MAGA influencers from Elon Musk to Dan Bongino, but we don’t get to vote. Instead, only Republican Senators vote and their votes are kept secret. Thus is the way of The Swamp.

MAGA influencer Rogan O’Handley posted an image on 𝕏. The caption is spot on and the message couldn’t be more clear.

One of these men is an anti-Trump warmonger who wants to drag America into WW3.

The other is Zelensky.

One of these men is an anti-Trump warmonger who wants to drag America into WW3

The other is Zelensky pic.twitter.com/yAJzQXgKjA

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) November 11, 2024

Contact any and all Republican Senators whether in your state or not and tell them that John Thune (and John Cornyn, for that matter) would be horrible for Agenda 47. They already know this. They just need to know that YOU know this.

A list purported to be the internal Whip numbers for GOP Senators voting for Senate Majority Leader was leaked Sunday night and paints the worst-case scenario for MAGA. If it’s real, then John Thune, the man Mitch McConnell has been grooming as his replacement for years, is in the driver’s seat to become the most powerful Senator.

Many MAGA influencers, including Elon Musk and Dan Bongino, have backed Rick Scott as the Trump ally to take the role. RINO Senators John Thune and John Cornyn are the Establishment’s picks. Some of us have hoped that they would split the Establishment vote and leave Scott in the lead, but apparently there are even fewer patriots in the Senate than some of us thought.

According to a post by Benny Johnson:

A GOP Senate Source has leaked the internal whip-count for the Leadership Vote. The final votes will be on a secret ballot Wednesday.

Here is where the race stands now…

• Cornyn (18)
• Scott (11)
• Thune (24)

• Banks – Thune
• Barrasso – Thune
• Blackburn – Thune
• Boozman – Cornyn
• Britt – Cornyn
• Budd – Cornyn
• Capito – Cornyn
• Cassidy – Thune
• Collins – Thune
• Cornyn – Cornyn
• Cotton – Thune
• Cramer – Thune
• Crapo – Cornyn
• Cruz – Thune
• Curtis – Thune
• Daines – Thune
• Ernst – Cornyn
• Fischer – Cornyn
• Graham – Cornyn
• Grassley – Cornyn
• Hagerty – Scott
• Hawley – Cornyn
• Hoeven – Thune
• Hyde-Smith – Cornyn
• Johnson – Scott
• Justice – Thune
• Kennedy – Cornyn
• Lankford – Cornyn
• Lee – Scott
• Lummis – Thune
• Marshall – Scott
• McConnell – Thune
• McCormick – Cornyn
• Moran – Cornyn
• Moreno – Scott
• Mullin – Thune
• Murkowski – Thune
• Paul – Scott
• Ricketts – Cornyn
• Risch – Cornyn
• Rounds – Thune
• Rubio – Scott
• Schmitt – Scott
• Scott (FL) – Scott
• Scott (SC) – Thune
• Sheehy – Thune
• Sullivan – Thune
• Tillis – Thune
• Thune – Cornyn
• Tuberville – Scott
• Vance – Scott
• Wicker – Thune
• Young – Thune

Proposed “Community Notes” for the post suggest it may not be real because Thune is allegedly not voting for himself and J.D. Vance is on the list. If it’s fake, it’s a very strong fake because there are no surprises on the list. Everyone who has announced their vote for Scott is where they belong. Those listed as voting for Thune or Cornyn jibe with what we know from their histories, including the cowardly, self-serving “patriots” like Tim Scott and Ted Cruz who want to be in the good graces of Thune.

It’s conspicuous that thus far, no Senators have come out to declare the list is inaccurate.

On a personal note, I’m not as bullish about Scott as others. But compared to Thune or Cornyn, he’s far better which is why I support him. In lieu of someone like Rand Paul or Ron Johnson getting the nod, Scott would be fine.

If the list pans out and Thune is selected, it will not bode well for America. He is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, and fully compromised by every special interest out there. The list of groups who “own” Thune include Big Pharma, Ukraine, and the Military Industrial Complex. Let’s pray Scott can pull off an upset.

Two of them are RINOs—John Thune and John Cornyn—while Rick Scott may not have the support to prevent either “McConnell 2.0” from ascending.

Senator Mike Lee has a plan. Well, it’s really just a theory combined with a wish, but it has a lot of conservatives wanting to sprinkle any fairy dust they can find on it so they can make it come true. The “John Adams Plan” would have Vice-President-Elect J.D. Vance ascend to the role of Senate Majority Leader while also fulfilling his duties as President of the Senate.

Crazier ideas have been put forth. Here’s what Senator Lee recently posted on 𝕏:

Here’s the point I was making:

Regardless of who Senate Republicans elect as the new majority leader, @JDVance will be the president of the Senate, and as such will be in a good position to lead the Senate GOP—to whatever extent and in whatever way he chooses to do so

In that respect, @JDVance doesn’t have to run to be the Senate’s GOP leader

He already did

And he won

So regardless of who might become the majority leader—a position we need to fill from among Republican senators—@JDVance could still “pull a John Adams,” and thus become the highest-ranking & most-influential Republican in the Senate

“Constitutional Scholars” have emerged on 𝕏 to try to shoot down the idea but here’s the thing. The Senate Majority Leader isn’t even a Constitutional role. It is part of the Senate’s own internal rules so giving Vance “side job” as Majority Leader while also retaining his VP role as President of the Senate seems viable.

Having the presidency and retaining control of the House are obviously important if we’re to see Donald Trump’s full agenda fulfilled, but handing the reins of the Senate over to Thune or Cornyn will greatly hamper the agenda. Both have interests that are often opposed to the America First policies Trump wants to sign. With a Democrat-leaning Senate map coming up in the midterms, it appears likely that Trump will only have two years to complete his mission unhampered.

Either Thune or Cornyn would hamper that mission.

Senator Lee’s plan is gaining traction among conservative media heavy hitters. Both Charlie Kirk and Glenn Beck endorsed the plan Friday:

A poll posted by Senator Lee on 𝕏 shows Scott as the favorite among the conservative base.

https://twitter.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1855041352045621633

Meanwhile, leftist corporate media has been attacking Senator Scott. Axios posted an article Thursday claiming that Trump didn’t feel Scott was a good Senate Majority Leader candidate. It cited anonymous sources, of course, but Google searches for Scott taking the role showed the Axios headline up top. That is often enough to spread a false narrative and damage sentiment toward Scott.

Conservative thought leaders on 𝕏 are lining up behind Scott.

https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1854905174856253692

https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1854903613954334746

https://twitter.com/LauraLoomer/status/1854681473053569186

https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1854656605125853404

https://twitter.com/TheLeoTerrell/status/1854602978713550858

I support @ScottforFlorida for Senate GOP leader.

— Dr. Kelli Ward (@kelliwardaz) November 8, 2024

Rick Scott would make an excellent Senate Majority Leader. pic.twitter.com/facDvi2LEZ

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 8, 2024

New: Wisconsin GOP Senator Ron Johnson is calling on President Trump to publicly endorse Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader.
pic.twitter.com/B288NA5mCU

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) November 7, 2024

We desperately need Trump to publicly support Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader.

If it’s Cornyn or Thune, it’s a continuation of McConnell.

And without Trump’s weight behind Scott, he will not win.

This matters. A lot.

— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) November 7, 2024

MAGA supports….

Senator @ScottforFlorida @SenRickScott from Florida for Leader of the US Senate. pic.twitter.com/SzOc1wyp3q

— Amy Kremer (@AmyKremer) November 8, 2024

Mr President: Please put your finger on the scale for @rickscott for majority leader in the Senate. If it isn’t him, LETS GET @JDVance to take the position. It will make him a real leader getting things done and your voice in the senate. Together you will get it done.…

— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) November 8, 2024

We need Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader

MAGA just swept the country with a mandate

Not the RINO uniparty types like John Thune and John Cornyn

MAGA must be in charge of the Senate https://t.co/IcETlmR05G

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) November 7, 2024

Why in the world did Josh Hawley just back John Cornyn for Senate Majority Leader?

Cornyn is one of the absolute worst.

Rick Scott needs to be leader.

— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) November 8, 2024

President Trump’s first term was subverted by Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. He will be subverted again if “McConnell 2.0” is running the Senate. J.D. Vance or Rick Scott as Senate Majority Leader would put Trump’s agenda into overdrive.

Mr. Cao, who earned an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, defeated four other Republican candidates: Jonathan Emord, Eddie Garcia, Scott Parkinson, and Chuck Smith.

Mr. Cao’s victory sets the stage for a November showdown with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a popular incumbent who’s best known to most Americans as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 running mate.

Mr. Kaine is a political powerhouse in the Old Dominion State, where he won his most recent election in 2018 by roughly 16 points.

Mr. Cao initially ran for federal office in 2022, when he attempted to unseat Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.). Mr. Cao came within six points of winning the district, bringing Democrats’ 13-point lead from the previous election down to just a 6 percent gap, but was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid.

Former President Trump endorsed Mr. Cao on May 26, 2024.

In a post to Truth Social, former President Trump said that Mr. Cao “ will be a tireless fighter to stop Inflation, grow our Economy, secure our Border, strongly support our Incredible Military/Vets, and defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”

Despite liking former President Trump, some Republicans voters we spoke with in the district expressed reservations about the nominee.

Steve Robinson, 75, of Loudoun County, told The Epoch Times that he doubted Mr. Cao’s ability to win the election.

Mr. Robinson said he was backing Mr. Emord, a constitutional lawyer. He said if Mr. Emord were elected, it would at least be “possible,” if “unlikely” for Republicans to flip the seat.

“If we don’t select him, or we elect Cao as our candidate, unfortunately he couldn’t beat Jennifer Wexton in the last election, so there’s no way he could beat Tim Kaine.”

Mr. Robinson indicated that he thought the endorsement was an effort to win increased Republican support among minorities.

The political arithmetic represents an uphill battle for Mr. Cao. Virginians last sent a Republican to the upper chamber in 2002. The last statewide vote to send a Republican to federal office came in 2004, when Virginians voted to reelect President George W. Bush.

But there are some encouraging signs for Republicans in the state. In the two most recent polls taken in the presidential contest, conducted by Fox News and Roanoke College, former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden were locked in a dead heat.

Early polling indicates that whatever happens at the presidential level, Mr. Kaine still retains the advantage on the Senate level.

Earlier polling looked at a hypothetical match-up between the popular Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Mr. Kaine.

In those polls, Mr. Kaine led by between 2 and 5 points—which doesn’t bode well for Mr. Cao, who doesn’t have nearly the same statewide profile as Mr. Youngkin.

In a late April poll, pollsters asked voters who they’d choose in a hypothetical matchup between Mr. Kaine and Mr. Cao. In that poll, Mr. Kaine led by 12 points.

Still, with polls showing that Republicans are on track for a better performance in Virginia than they’ve seen in years, the seat remains a target for Senate Republicans.

Sound off about this article on The Liberty Daily Substack.

The first article claimed that Mayorkas had “willfully and systematically refused to comply with the law” regarding the southern border during his tenure as DHS Secretary. The second article alleged that he had violated public trust.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., proposed a point of order to deem the first article unconstitutional. Following Schumer’s proposal, the Senate voted 51-48 to declare it unconstitutional, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voting present.

Schumer’s point of order was introduced after his request for unanimous consent, which would have set a specific time for debate among senators and votes on two GOP resolutions and a set number of agreed-upon points of order, was denied by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. Schmitt argued that the Senate should conduct a comprehensive trial into the impeachment articles against Mayorkas, rather than following Schumer’s proposed plan, which would likely result in the dismissal of the articles.

Republican senators opposed Schumer’s point of order, as agreeing to it would effectively nullify the first article. Several GOP lawmakers made motions, including requests to adjourn or table the point of order, but all were unsuccessful.

“This process must not be abused. It must not be short-circuited. History will not judge this moment well,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as he motioned to table Schumer’s point of order.

After further motions to avoid voting on Schumer’s second point of order, which would declare the second article unconstitutional, the Senate agreed to it in a 51-49 vote, with Murkowski rejoining the Republicans.

Article generated from corporate media reports.

A Boeing engineer turned whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, reiterated his claims that the 787 Dreamliner is unsafe due to assembly flaws. He expressed concerns about tiny nonconforming gaps found in multiple planes during fuselage assembly, which could lead to catastrophic outcomes. Salehpour said he would not put his family on a 787 Dreamliner right now. He is set to testify before a U.S. Senate subcommittee.

He doubled down on his claims Tuesday, saying that the plane could fall apart and “drop to the ground” midflight unless the alleged safety problems are addressed.

Boeing has faced increased scrutiny following a midflight blowout of a door panel from a 737 Max 9 during a flight in January. The company’s CEO, Dave Calhoun, has announced he will step down. Boeing has defended the structural integrity of the 787, stating that it was stress-tested for 165,000 cycles without failure. The company also said it had inspected 689 of the 787s in service and found no evidence of fatigue.

In a statement, Boeing said, “These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate. The issues raised have been subject to rigorous engineering examination under FAA oversight.”

Despite Boeing’s assurances, Salehpour remains firm in his claims and suggests that production of the 787 should be halted until the alleged problems are addressed. He has flagged the issue to the FAA, which is investigating his claims. Salehpour was transferred to work on the 777 line after raising concerns internally.

Salehpour’s attorney, Lisa Banks, has heard from additional whistleblowers at Boeing who have reported similar issues. Salehpour is confident in his allegations, citing Boeing’s own data and his experience as a quality engineer.

Sound off about this article on The Liberty Daily Substack.

Article generated from corporate media reports.

Former Congressman Mike Rogers is a full-blown RINO. He’s a NeoCon. He’s part of the Romney/Cheney wing of the Republican Establishment. And perhaps most importantly, he’s a self-avowed NeverTrumper.

As Senator Rand Paul noted on Twitter, Donald Trump’s endorsement of Rogers for U.S. Senator in the Michigan race is like endorsing John Bolton.

Donald Trump just endorsed the worst Deep State candidate this cycle.

@MikeRogersForMI is a never Trumper, and a card carrying member of the spy state that seeks to destroy Trump.

You have to ask yourself who gives Trump this awful advice?

Who’s next, John Bolton?

Donald Trump just endorsed the worst Deep State candidate this cycle. @MikeRogersForMI is a never Trumper, and a card carrying member of the spy state that seeks to destroy Trump.

You have to ask yourself who gives Trump this awful advice?

Who’s next, John Bolton? pic.twitter.com/TZXRYLtFv6

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 11, 2024

The question is, “Why?” The answer is, sadly, pretty obvious.

Trump the Deal Maker

As much as most Trump supporters want to believe that their preferred candidate is above the petty political fray and that backroom deals with the UniParty Swamp are below him, neither are true. He’s not above the fray. In fact, he generally thrives within the fray and he’s not going to let the RINO v America First Patriot war within the Republican Party slip by without his input.

When it comes to backroom deals, Trump is among the best at getting the upper hand. Unfortunately, that means that he’s willing to do things his base doesn’t like if it means achieving a goal. Right now, the goal is to be President of the United States and he (or at least his team) believes engaging with the UniParty Swamp is the best way to achieve this goal.

I’d argue that the strategy is wrong, but I’m biased. I don’t want any dealings with the UniParty Swamp. I have that luxury since I’m sitting behind a keyboard instead of running for office. Trump does not have that luxury.

But Mike Rogers? Really? This guy makes Dick Cheney seem mild in his warmongering and Deep State shenanigans. As Sundance at The Conservative Treehouse noted:

Mike Rogers together with Democrat Rep Dutch Ruppersberger, were infamous for generating the report that defended the CIA and Deep State during the Benghazi aftermath and protecting Hillary Clinton {GO DEEP}.  CTH took apart the report that was created by Rogers and Ruppersberger without the other members of the intelligence committee participating.

Annoyingly, Rogers has a long history of helping to assist and create the national security “surveillance state.”  SEE HERE and SEE HERE and SEE HERE.  Perhaps he has changed in the decade since he was one of the primary advocates for the Deep State and the creation of the 4th branch of government; however, I doubt it.

I also doubt that President Trump was advised about the nature of Mike Rogers and his ideological outlook toward supporting the National Security state.  Rogers has a life-long history of supporting the very institutional actors who targeted President Trump, so it’s a little hard to see him supporting President Trump in the second term.

The 2014 Rogers/Ruppersberger Report was specifically designed, by wording, to provide political cover to both parties – Republicans and Democrats within the Gang of Eight particularly included and protected.

Endorsements are almost entirely worthless. Trump’s are by far the most important any candidate can receive, which is why it’s discouraging that on multiple occasions over the past eight years he’s made some pretty ugly ones. Katie Britt? Dr. Mehmet Oz? Mitt Romney?!?!?!?!

But there’s an asterisk that needs to be added here. Of the GOP candidates vying for the nomination, the three top candidates are ALL NeverTrumpers. Justin Amash is a Libertarian at heart who hates Trump. Peter Meijer voted to impeach Trump. James Craig was the best candidate but dropped out even when he was polling strong because he ran out of money. Rogers is arguably the least of the NeverTrump evils who have a chance of winning.

So there’s that. But the circumstances don’t take away the sting of knowing that Trump is endorsing someone based on the prodding of the Mitch McConnell clan in the Senate. I’d rather Trump had endorsed an America First candidate who would lose instead of a RINO who is likely going to win.

Sound off about this article on my Substack.