Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said Sunday that Sen. John Thune (R-S.C.) volition “be a large leader” for the Senate arsenic Republicans successful the precocious enclosure hole for a instrumentality to power.

“I’ve known John Thune since the 1980s, he's gonna beryllium a large leader,” Rounds told NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt connected “The Hill Sunday.”

“But the bully happening for Republicans is we've got 3 truly prime individuals that are vying for the apical bureau arsenic the bulk leader, and so, I've got thing atrocious to accidental astir immoderate of the different 2 candidates, but I deliberation we've got a existent victor successful John Thune,” helium added.

Thune is facing disconnected against Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) for long-serving Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) position. Republicans are besides acceptable to instrumentality power of the Senate successful January owed to the results of Tuesday’s election.

“And here's portion of the deal,” Rounds said successful his “The Hill Sunday” appearance. “He wants alteration successful the Senate. He wants the Senate to really get backmost and really work. Let's really effort to get immoderate things done connected clip for a change.”

Thune has recently been pushing President-elect Trump to not intervene successful the contention for enactment of the Senate Republicans, and has said that it is successful the president-elect’s “best interests” to not instrumentality a side.

However, those supporting Cornyn and Scott person said that requests for Trump to steer wide of the contention to regenerate McConnell awesome anxiousness from Thune astir the president-elect perchance backing his rivals.

“He’s terrified. He knows that Trump won’t endorse him. If helium knows that, past Trump getting progressive hurts him,” a Senate Republican adjutant said.

The Hill has reached retired to Scott's and Cornyn's offices for comment.

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