Senate Republicans flex their independence

MIKE JOHNSON, the speaker of the House of Representatives, became all but guaranteed to keep his job for another two years after receiving Donald Trump’s backing on November 13th. Yet Mr Trump conspicuously withheld an endorsement in another congressional leadership contest the same day, and Senate Republicans elected John Thune as their next majority leader. The South Dakotan now has the unenviable task of managing a busy legislative schedule while also trying to reconcile the demands of his own caucus, an unruly lower chamber and an emboldened and mercurial president.