John Thune's balancing act: Inside his push to save the GOP majority

With the midterms a week away, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is campaigning to hold a Republican majority that has become vulnerable. A favorable map has turned risky because of an unpopular war with Iran, which began in February, and persistently high gas prices. CBS News reports that Thune, a South Dakota Republican, has spent nearly two years trying to push President Trump's agenda while protecting the Senate's independence, and this election is the clearest test of that strategy. Last Friday in Sioux City, Iowa, he appeared with Rep. Ashley Hinson, who says she will back the president when she agrees with him and be a thorn in his side when she does not.

Thune, 65, was chosen as leader after the 2024 election and is known as a low-key, behind-the-scenes operator. Senators Mike Rounds, Bernie Moreno and Lisa Murkowski praised his temperament, and Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called him a good and decent American. Under him, the Senate passed Trump's tax, border security and defense package, plus bipartisan bills on housing, stablecoins, revenge porn and fentanyl.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CBS News’s reporting. Read the full story at CBS News →