Senate Republicans sparked outrage among some of President Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters Tuesday after voting behind closed doors to reelect Sen. John Thune (R-SD) as their leader despite the party’s midterm election losses.
Thune, who ran unopposed, will become Senate minority leader when Democrats take control in January, according to media reports.
“I am honored to have their continued trust and support to lead the 120th Congress,” Thune wrote in a celebratory post shortly after the vote.
But not everybody in the party was happy about Thune’s return as GOP Senate leader.
“GOP Senators have once again stabbed voters in the back by supporting John Thune for re-election as minority leader behind closed doors,” far-right social media personality Bad Hombre wrote on X.
“This is completely unacceptable,” he added, announcing that he was leaving the Republican Party after 14 years.
Another self-described three-time Trump voter called the decision “the ultimate betrayal.”
MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson also weighed in.
“Senate Republicans just held a closed-door vote to re-elect John Thune as Senate minority leader for the upcoming Congress,” he wrote. “Unbelievable…”
The backlash followed an unsuccessful effort by several Republican senators to postpone the leadership elections.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who walked out rather than participate in the vote, told reporters, “I really don’t like walking out but that’s what I said I would do and I did it,” according to reporting by Semafor’s Burgess Everett.
Despite his protest, Johnson said Thune had been “unfairly attacked by our base.”
Meanwhile, House Republicans elected Jim Jordan (R-OH) to become their next minority leader.
https://t.co/7WuV5aTLFC — Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) November 10, 2026
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