Senate leader contender John Thune responds to new Trump litmus test ahead of election

Trump said on Sunday that whoever the new leader is "must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner."

Recess appointments refer to the president's ability to fill federal vacancies that occur while the Senate is in recess. This power is outlined in the Recess Appointments Clause of the Constitution. For the president to unilaterally make these appointments, the Congress must be in recess. 

"I've spent eight months carefully listening to my colleagues about their vision for the next chapter of the Senate Republican Conference, especially as we hit the ground running with President Trump," Thune told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. 

"One thing is clear: We must act quickly and decisively to get the president's cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible to start delivering on the mandate we've been sent to execute, and all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments. We cannot let Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats block the will of the American people," he continued. 

Trump's request for the new GOP Senate leader to agree to recess appointments comes after his struggle with a divided Congress in 2020, which would not adjourn when he asked them so that he could push through key appointments amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He is also competing against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. 

Cornyn has not yet responded directly to the latest ask from Trump, but he shared on X on Saturday, "The first order of business in the new Senate should be confirming President Trump's cabinet. If I am the majority leader, I will keep the Senate in session until those confirmations occur."

"No weekends, no breaks. Democrats can cooperate in the best interest of the country, or continue the resistance, which will eventually be ground down. Take your pick," he said. 

The election will be conducted by secret ballot on Nov. 13. 

Trump has not made any endorsement in the race and has not said whether he plans to do so.