Republicans are fresh off a landslide election victory in the presidential race and a majority margin in the U.S. Senate, but their new political power is being tested by internal political struggles over who will be leader of the majority in the Senate.

Longtime Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is resigning, and an election is expected for his replacement by secret ballot Wednesday.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who helped propel President-elect Donald Trump to the White House, has endorsed Sen. Rick Scott, Republican of Florida, for leader.

Scott is running against Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and John Thune, R-S.D.

Musk’s endorsement is just one of many conservative voices supporting Scott in the contested leadership race.

“The people who just gave Donald Trump a radical mandate don’t want Thune or Cornyn running the U.S. Senate,” wrote Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a conservative leader who helped the Trump campaign win all seven states keys, wrote on X. “They want Rick Scott. It’s very clear.

Tucker Carlson, a conservative voice who knows Trump personally, said he helped push for Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, to become Trump’s vice presidential pick.

“What is happening in the US Senate? Carlson wrote on Two of the three candidates hate Trump and what he ran on. One of them, John Cornyn, is an angry liberal whose politics are indistinguishable from those of Liz Cheney. The election will take place on Wednesday, will be conducted by secret ballot and will determine whether or not the new administration will succeed.

“Rick Scott of Florida is the only candidate who agrees with Donald Trump,” Carlson added. “Call your senator and demand public support for Rick Scott. Don’t let McConnell get away with it again.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime Democrat turned independent and Trump supporter, has also expressed support for the more conservative Scott.

Cornyn and Thune are considered further to the left of Scott.

“Without Rick Scott, Trump’s entire reform agenda would be shaky,” Kennedy wrote on X.

That means Scott has amassed the support of many of the most important elements of Trump’s re-election campaign.

“I will support Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., wrote on X. “The status quo of $2 trillion annual deficits is not sustainable.”

“The first thing on the new Senate’s agenda should be the confirmation of President Trump’s Cabinet. If I am majority leader, I will keep the Senate in session until these confirmations are obtained. »

So far, Trump has not publicly chosen sides, but he issued a statement Sunday saying whoever wins should accept recess nominations, the process by which the president can make a temporary appointment when the Senate is out of session.

Recess nominations would allow Trump to avoid what could become a lengthy and difficult confirmation process in which Democrats could crowd Trump’s agenda.

“Any Republican senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must accept paused nominations (in the Senate!) or we will not be able to confirm individuals in a timely manner,” Trump said . “Sometimes votes can take two years or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot allow it to happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY! Additionally, no judges are expected to be approved during this time, as Democrats seek to impose their judges while Republicans fight for leadership.

These initial appointments have become the first question for future majority leaders. So far, all three candidates have publicly stated that appointments need to be expedited, including appointments during the holidays.

“We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s nominees in place as quickly as possible, and all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments,” Thune said. “We cannot let Schumer and Senate Democrats block the will of the American people.”