Donald Trump's reported choice to replace Mitch McConnell as the Republican Senate leader may not get the approval of the former president's longtime ally, Steve Bannon.
Trump is said to have urged Montana Senator Steve Daines to run for the position, even before McConnell announced he would be stepping down from the role, Axios and Politico reported.
McConnell, 82, confirmed on Wednesday that he will step down as the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in November but that he intends to see out the remainder of his term in office, which runs until January 2027.
The so-called "Three Johns," a term used to describe Republican senators who share the same first name—Cornyn of Texas, Barrasso of Wyoming and Thune of South Dakota—have long been thought of as potential replacements for McConnell, who suffered a series of apparent medical episodes last year.
Trump's apparent backing of Daines, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, arrives after Bannon has publicly criticized the senator.
Reacting to the reports that Trump wants Daines to be the next GOP Senate leader, Bannon told Newsweek that the Maine lawmaker's "sole purpose as head of Senate races was to funnel anti-MAGA, Never Trump money to candidates that would back McConnell for leadership.
"WarRoom opposes any Senator that is not dramatically Pro-Trump, Pro-MAGA, Pro-America First," he said.
In a February 10 episode of his WarRoom podcast, Bannon, a former Trump White House adviser, called both Daines and McConnell "evil."
In December, Bannon added: "You know, this guy Daines this Montana. And if you're in Montana, I hate to be brutally frank about this, but he is just Mitch McConnell's b****. Let me be blunt. He's a gutless coward."
Bannon, who frequently attacks what he sees as establishment Republican figures, suggested that Daines is too similar to McConnell and that he would not back candidates who have been endorsed by Trump.
"Trump knows that all he's pushing is Mitch McConnell guys, the guy out there in Montana is going to be another Mitch McConnell clone," Bannon said.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's office via email for comment.
Speaking to Politico, Daines said he appreciates Trump's apparent support for him to be the next Republican Senate leader, but he did not confirm his intentions either way.
"I told [Trump] the most important thing I can do this moment is to make sure we have a Senate majority in November," Daines said.
Cornyn, who endorsed Trump for president in January after previously suggesting the GOP should find a new candidate for the 2024 race, has already confirmed he's running for the Republican Senate leader position.
"I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell," Cornyn said in a statement. "Throughout my time I've built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause."
McConnell and Trump have had a frosty relationship for years as the Kentucky Senator refused to support the former president's 2020 election fraud claims.
During his speech confirming he's leaving the role he has held since 2006, McConnell did not endorse any candidate but said he has "full confidence" in the GOP conference to pick his successor.
Update 3/1/24, 10:38 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Steve Bannon.
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Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
