Thune Joins Mike Emanuel on Fox News

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined Mike Emanuel on Fox News.

On confirming Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem:

"[T]wo big ones. Very important that they get done. They're the national security - obviously, border security with Governor Noem, now Secretary Noem, and, of course, with Secretary Hegseth, a lot going on in the world. We needed a defense secretary in place. And glad to get those done, we're working on a couple more, and just going to keep grinding through and get the president's team in place and ready to implement his agenda."

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"[I]t was a team effort. I mean, those are, it's hard, and it was close, and but we got it done, and we knew there was a path. And I've been saying for some time that there's a path, and it ended up pretty much exactly kind of the way I expected it to come out. So in the end, it was a good outcome, and for the country, honestly. And I think we need - Lord knows that the Department of Defense has some challenges in front of it, and he's a guy who's ready to lace up his, or roll up his sleeves and go to work. So we're anxious to get him over there and get him on the job."

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"I thought [Hegseth's] confirmation hearing was great, and I thought that the way he did, he handled, at least from the reporting I got back on his individual meetings with senators, went well, too. And I think the way he articulated what he wants to do when he gets there. I mean, he wants the Department of Defense to be about the war fighter, not about, you know, DEI or some sort of woke agenda. And I think the American people are ready for that. And I think the Department of Defense and our military is ready for that."

On confirming Scott Bessent and Sean Duffy:

"I hope those are both big votes. Bessent came out of the Senate Finance Committee, on which I serve. I also serve on the Senate Commerce Committee, where Sean Duffy was reported out. Sean Duffy came out unanimously. And so I expect that to be a big vote on the floor. And same thing, frankly, with Bessent. He got a good - we had a cloture vote today on Bessent, and it was a good, strong vote. I think he got 67 votes on cloture. So my expectation is, these are very capable people, very qualified for these jobs, and I'm hoping that the Democrats recognize that and give us the support that we need, and then enable us to get going on the next set of nominees."

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