Senators vying to become the next leader of the Republican conference pledged on Sunday to quickly push through President-elect Donald J. Trump’s appointees after he demanded on social media that they do so.
Senator Rick Scott of Florida was the first to make such a vow in an attempt to curry favor with Mr. Trump. Mr. Scott quickly picked up the endorsement of one of the president-elect’s biggest backers, the billionaire Elon Musk.
Not to be outdone, Senator John Thune of South Dakota, who is considered a front-runner in the race, released a statement saying that he, too, would push to swiftly staff Mr. Trump’s administration.
“One thing is clear: We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible to start delivering on the mandate we’ve been sent to execute, and all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments,” Mr. Thune said.
Senator John Cornyn of Texas was not far behind.
“It is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President @realDonaldTrump’s cabinet appointments,” he wrote on social media. “If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent. Additionally, the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments.”
The jockeying for the president-elect’s approval was the latest example of his unparalleled influence over Republican members of Congress.
Mr. Trump has not endorsed anyone in the race to succeed Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, but he has railed against Mr. Thune in the past over his refusal to go along with Mr. Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election. He has also criticized Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Thune as “weak and ineffective.”
Senate Republicans are set to hold a secret-ballot election on Wednesday to choose who will succeed Mr. McConnell as the majority leader when the party assumes control of the chamber in January.
Mr. Thune and Mr. Cornyn have been seen as front-runners. But Mr. Scott, who failed in a previous bid for leadership, has been pitching himself as the candidate most aligned with the right wing of Mr. Trump’s movement.
On Sunday, Mr. Trump told Republicans to quickly appoint officials to his administration and block Democrats from appointing any more judges during the Biden administration.
In a post on social media, he urged them to “agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner.”
During his first term, Mr. Trump struggled to fill positions quickly in part because of delay tactics that Senate Democrats employed.
Presidents have the constitutional authority to make recess appointments, but the power has historically been rarely used and at times caused controversy, including a legal fight that made its way to the Supreme Court.
Mr. Trump’s post suggested he would like to routinely use recess appointments as a way around Senate approval.
Mr. Scott endorsed Mr. Trump’s demand for a speedy process, writing on social media: “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.” His post prompted Mr. Musk’s endorsement.
Mr. Trump also demanded that “no Judges should be approved during this period of time.”
Democrats currently control the Senate by a single vote and are aiming to spend the months before Republicans take over the chamber by confirming as many of President Biden’s judicial nominees as possible.
Senator Joe Manchin III, independent of West Virginia who caucuses with the Democrats, has pledged to withhold his support for any judicial nominee who does not have support from Republicans, though he has backed off at least once. Most judicial nominees do not prompt much controversy and receive votes from members of both parties.
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