Trump pushes next Senate leader to back ‘recess appointments’

The push coincides with the upcoming GOP election for a new Senate majority leader to replace Mitch McConnell, the party’s veteran who is retiring. Leading candidates Rick Scott of Florida, John Thune of South Dakota, and John Cornyn of Texas, have all voiced support for Trump’s request, signalling his influence over the party’s direction in the coming term.

Trump took to X to state his demands, calling for the incoming GOP Senate leadership to support recess appointments, which he described as crucial for quick appointments. “Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote.

Rick Scott, considered an underdog in the Senate race, was the first to back Trump’s call. Within minutes, he replied on X: “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.” Scott, who enjoys support from prominent figures like Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has aligned closely with Trump’s agenda.

Trump’s administration picks are already underway, with Stephen Miller reportedly tapped for White House deputy chief of staff and former acting ICE director Tom Homan named “border czar.” Additionally, Representative Elise Stefanik is expected to be the new US ambassador to the United Nations.

In recent years, the Senate has routinely held brief pro-forma sessions specifically to prevent the president from making recess appointments and bypassing the chamber’s role of advice and consent. In 2014, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that three recess appointments made by then-President Barack Obama were unconstitutional because the Senate was not truly in recess, effectively limiting the future use of this practice.

Recess appointments can last for a maximum of two years unless senators subsequently confirm the nominee.

Neither Trump nor President Joe Biden has been able to make recess appointments during their presidencies — even when their parties controlled both Congress and the presidency — due to how the chambers structured their schedules.