Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) will be a Republican Senate leader who will deliver Donald Trump’s agenda, he explained in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News.
Scott, fresh off an overwhelming reelection victory and one of three candidates for Senate Republican Leader, explained how he would work to realize the mandate the American people gave Trump.
“I believe in the Trump agenda,” Scott told Breitbart News. “He has a mandate. We need a way to make sure what he started happens.”
Scott, who arrived in the Senate half during Trump’s first turn, knows what challenges are ahead for the Senate during Trump’s next term, telling Breitbart News that Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will employ every trick available to thwart Trump.
“You have to get his nominees done quickly,” Scott said. “We know Schumer’s going to try to block them, and then anything that needs legislation, we got to figure out how to get it done, whether reconciliation or if it takes 60 votes, we’re gonna have to say, how do we come together to fulfill Trump’s the agenda that the public demand has demanded.”
The budget reconciliation process, by which the Senate can advance certain legislation with a simple majority threshold, has emerged as a tool to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote requirement for most legislation. Republicans have proposed using reconciliation for everything from energy legislation to tax policy.
Scott displayed a knowledge of Senate history but remained focused on the Senate’s path forward. He magnanimously never used Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) name even when describing his preference for a different leadership style.
“The leadership’s style… they had their approach,” Scott said, making the case Republicans can enjoy success by transitioning away from a top-down style. “It’s sort of like what happened with Lyndon Johnson, who was somebody that it was always his way or the highway. And then Mike Mansfield treated every senator as an equal. And I think most people consider Mike Mansfield a very successful majority leader.”
Johnson, who served as Senate Majority Leader from 1954 until being sworn in as Vice President in 1961, was known for a ruthless, authoritarian style that transformed the position of Leader and the Senate itself. Mansfield, who replaced Johnson and led the Senate until 1977, employed a much more magnanimous approach that nonetheless proved successful.
Despite a majority of Senators publicly remaining loyal to McConnell’s leadership style during his tenure, Scott said he feels most Senators would enjoy more input on what legislation and amendments are considered on the floor.
“When I talk to my colleagues, they want to be treated as equals,” he said. “They want to be to be heard. They want to be part of the team. They want to accomplish something. They want to help Trump. So I think I’ve got the unique background to do it.”
Scott’s two opponents in the Senate race are closely tied to McConnell and his leadership style. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) currently serves as McConnell’s top deputy. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) held that position prior to Thune before being forced out by term limits.
Breitbart offered Thune and Cornyn interviews as well. Each declined through a spokesperson.
Scott, who rose from bumble beginnings, served in the Navy, and reached phenomenal success in the private sector, pointed to his business record as proof he knows how to get things done.
“I did this,” he said. “I’m a business guy. In business, you got to build a team. You have to have a very specific purpose. You got to have a plan. You have to work your plan. You got to measure results. And so my goal is to help all my colleagues accomplish what they want to accomplish, but the most important thing is help Trump accomplish what he wants to accomplish.”
Scott has enjoyed a groundswell of conservative support, both from the grassroots and notable figures like Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk.
“I’m very appreciative of people supporting me, but I think what they’re supporting is the fact that I have the right background to get Trump’s agenda done,” he said.
Scott encouraged both the American people and Senators to weigh in on the leadership race.
“This is how our government works, its representative government,” he said. “And I think everybody ought to make their voices heard. I tell people all the time. Tell me what the issues are, tell me what you think. I mean, this is my job. I ran to represent you. So that means you should be telling me what you think.”
Senate rules can hinder quick consideration of nominations, and the clock is often Senators’ greatest enemy in confirming nominations. Scott, saying “I’ve been up here six years, there’s no plan to get nominees done,” would prioritize filling Trump’s team.
“You know what the needs are,” he said. “You know how many nominees there are going to be, so you know how much time it takes. Number one, sit down with the President, write a plan, and then, if we have the opportunity, we ought to allow him to do recess appointments [when] we’re in recess. Maybe there’s still a process where Republican senators can make sure they’re comfortable with those nominees, but I think we have to go all in.”
Scott said nothing can be off the table to fight against “the Democrats destroying this country.”
“Chuck Schumer is going to do everything he can slow down Trump’s nominees, Trump’s agenda,” he said. “He did the entire time Trump was president. So what we got to do is we got to push back hard and say whatever process there is to accelerate nominees taking their jobs so we can get this country started on the right path we need to be doing.”
Fundraising is a critical component of a leader’s job, and Scott believes the reelection of incumbents must be prioritized. But he also believes the approach to raising and spending money should be reexamined.
“This money is not given for the leader,” he insisted. “The money is given to win elections. It’s not to win elections that the leader wants, its to win elections are good for Republicans. So my, my role would be to do what I did in business, get feedback, get people involved.”
Scott ran for the top job in the Senate Republican Conference in 2022 as well – the first challenge to McConnell since he became Leader. His out-in-the open approach is different than his two opponents, who employ a more behind-the-scenes, backroom style campaigning directly to Senate colleagues.
“I’ve met with my colleagues. I’ve asked what they want,” he said. “I was very clear in letters back in ’22 how I think we have to change and my letter in this year how we ought to change. I’ve been very clear what we should do and there’s been a groundswell of support that I think organically has decided that this is really important to help Trump get his agenda done.”
Scott warned Republicans against making the mistake made by Democrats in forgetting who their voters are their cares and concerns. He believes his record supporting Trump’s America First agenda, transparent leadership style, and open communication with both voters and his Senate colleagues makes him the man for the mission.
Schumer “lost a majority because he was tone deaf to where the American public was,” Scott said. “Harris lost the presidency because Democrats are tone deaf to where the public is. So I assume they’ll probably keep down the path they’re going that they’re continuing to go down now where they want men to take over women’s sports, they want to have an open border. They want forever wars. And the public rejected that.
“Unfortunately, their position bodes badly for the Democrat party, Democrat senators, but I think it’s going to help us win elections going forward, if we do what we said we’re going to do.”
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
