Listen To Story Above

Senate Majority Leader John Thune emphasized a cordial relationship with President Trump while highlighting key policy disagreements during an exclusive interview with The Post at his Capitol Hill office.

Despite acknowledging their “very good relationship,” Thune expressed skepticism about several presidential initiatives, particularly Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s proposed 8% annual military budget reductions. The Senate leader, who succeeded an ailing Mitch McConnell in November, argued that such cuts were improbable, especially considering costly projects like Hegseth’s “Iron Dome for America.”

While discussing fiscal matters, Thune, who now leads from an office adorned with portraits of past Republican presidents but notably lacking Trump’s image, challenged the feasibility of Department of Governmental Efficiency chief Elon Musk’s ambitious $1 trillion spending reduction target without touching entitlement programs.

“It’s hard to see how, given the fact that entitlements now represent and if you include interest on the debt, entitlement, 73% of the federal budget,” Thune said.

The South Dakota Republican, despite his past friction with Trump – including calling for his withdrawal from the 2016 race – expressed support for DOGE’s radical spending reduction goals, stating, “I think you have to be willing to go places that we haven’t gone before.”

Facing an imminent government shutdown and complex budget negotiations, Thune remained composed when discussing Trump’s unexpected endorsement of House Republicans’ budget proposal over the Senate version. The former “RINO” target maintained diplomatic perspective about the president’s preference.

On international affairs, Thune distanced himself from Trump’s characterization of Ukrainian President Zelensky as a “dictator” and rejected claims that Ukraine initiated the conflict with Russia. He defended existing Russian sanctions and reaffirmed America’s NATO commitments, following reports of potential U.S. withdrawal discussions in Eastern Europe.

The Senate leader also shared his perspective on Democratic counterpart Chuck Schumer, describing him as “a very political creature” and noting, “I think he’s, he is very motivated by politics.”

When questioned about the conspicuous absence of Trump’s portrait among the Republican presidents displayed in his office, including George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan, Thune simply stated, “We’ll get around to it.”