In a surprising turn, Senator John Thune was elected as the new Republican leader in the U.S. Senate, defying Donald Trump’s wishes. Despite support for Florida Senator Rick Scott from Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, Scott failed to secure enough votes in the first round of secret balloting. Thune, a long-time senator from South Dakota with a history of opposing Trump, plans to work closely with the former president and back his ‘America First’ agenda. Thune succeeds Mitch McConnell, who has led the Senate Republicans for 18 years.