By MARY CLARE JALONICK and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before Senate Republicans choose new leadersPresident-elect Donald Trump is pressuring nominees to change the rules and give him the power to appoint some nominees without a Senate vote.

Republican Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida are entering secret ballot elections Wednesday to lead the GOP conference and replace longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell. step aside He was laid off after almost two decades. All three had Trump’s support in the race and competed to show who was closest to the president-elect as he campaigned to become majority leader.

Trump has not endorsed the race but made clear Sunday that he expects the new leader to follow normal Senate order if necessary to allow him to quickly fill out the Cabinet. In a statement on X and Truth Social, Trump said the next leader “must agree” to allowing him to make an appointment while the legislature is in recess, bypassing the confirmation vote.

“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate (in the Senate!) must accept Recess Appointments, without which we cannot get people confirmed on time,” Trump said. “IMMEDIATELY!” must be filled.

The Senate has not allowed presidents to make so-called recess appointments since the Supreme Court ruled in 2014 limited the president’s authority to do so. Since then, the Senate has held brief “pro-forma” sessions whenever he is out of town for more than 10 days, so that a president cannot take advantage of his absence and begin filling unconfirmed positions.

But with Trump’s approval so important in the race, all three candidates immediately indicated they might be willing to reconsider the practice. Scott responded to Trump: “I agree 100%. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations finalized as quickly as possible.” And Thune said in a statement that they must act “quickly and decisively” to nominate candidates and that “all options, including recess appointments, are on the table to make this happen.”

“It is unacceptable for Senate D’s to blockade the President,” Cornyn said. @realdonaldtrump cabinet appointments. “If they do this, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent,” he said, adding that holidays are allowed according to the Constitution.

Sunday’s social media post was the first test for the three candidates since Trump was decisively elected to a second term last week.

Trump’s relationship with Congress, particularly the advice-and-consent role afforded to the Senate on nominations, was tumultuous in his first term as he grew irritated by resistance to his choices and sought ways around lawmakers. As Trump enters a second term, emboldened by his landslide election victory, he is signaling that he expects Senate Republicans, and thus their new leaders, to stand behind his Cabinet picks.

Trump also announced Sunday that the Senate should not confirm any judges in the weeks before Republicans take power next year; This is a more difficult demand to fulfill as Democrats will control the chamber and hold the majority of votes until the new Congress is sworn in. On January 3, Trump posted: “While Republicans are fighting for the Leadership, Democrats are looking for ways to attack the Judges. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.”

With days to go, the Senate Republican leadership race is in major flux.

Thune and Cornyn, both well-liked senators who have long served as lawmakers to McConnell and are seen as front-runners despite past statements criticizing Trump. Scott, a longtime friend and fierce ally of Trump, is seen as a more distant prospect but has launched an aggressive campaign on social media and elsewhere in recent days to seek Trump’s endorsement.

Senators close to Trump such as Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida have endorsed Scott, as have tech mogul Elon Musk and others with Trump’s ear.

“We need to be the change,” Scott said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “That’s what Donald Trump was elected to do, to create change.”

All three candidates promise to be more open and transparent than McConnell and give senators more authority to voice their priorities. They also sought to make clear that they would have a much different relationship with Trump than with McConnell, who once called the former president a “despicable human being.” behind closed doors.

While the Senate negotiates how to fill Trump’s Cabinet, many of his allies are campaigning for the nomination. Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said on ABC’s “This Week” that there are “some great options on the table.” Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2019, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that one of his greatest honors was representing the Trump administration abroad. He said he would advance “President Trump’s clearly stated positions.”