In repeated TV interviews, Thune has urged Trump not to endorse any of the three candidates running to replace the GOP leader. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Thune is perceived as the marginal favorite in that contest given his role as McConnell’s deputy, but Trump’s involvement could shape the race in unpredictable ways.

“Obviously, if he wants to, he could exert considerable influence on that,” Thune told CNBC on Thursday. “But honestly, I think my preference would be and I think it’s probably in his best interest not to.”

“Honestly, I think if he lets it play out, we’ll find the right person,” Thune said in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT TRUMP IS PRESIDENT-ELECT

The race, which will take place next Wednesday, is an internal matter. Both Thune and his primary challenger, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), have held regular conversations with their GOP colleagues since McConnell announced his retirement from the leadership in February.

The third contender, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), has begun to consolidate a bloc of Republicans who demand reforms in exchange for their vote.

However, the the prospect of Trump influencing the process has been ever-present since it closed nominations earlier this year.

Thune endorsed Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), one of Trump’s primary challengers, but has since tried to repair the relationship.

He visited Mar-a-Lago in March and “communicated regularly” with him in the months that followed, according to a source familiar with the discussions. The two spoke last week and on Wednesday, the day Trump close a second term in office.

“There’s only one person in the race that President Trump just doesn’t get along with,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who is endorsing Thune next week. “But Thune and he are in a good place.”

Mullin declined to elaborate on whether he was referring to Cornyn or Scott.

Thune is not uniquely vulnerable because of his rocky past with Trump. Cornyn also once called for the Republican Party to chart a different course after Trump’s 2020 loss.

But Cornyn has been more vocal in realigning Trump, pledging this week to “Make America Great Again by Making the Senate Work Again.” In October, Cornyn appeared with Trump at events in Texas and Nevada.

The implication of Thune’s pleas is that an endorsement by Trump wouldn’t necessarily cut his path. In 2022, Trump endorsed Rick Scott, who is again asking for Trump’s endorsement.

But Thune and his allies have argued to Trump that an endorsement is not in his own interest. The leadership race is conducted by secret ballot, limiting his influence on the process, and if his favorite candidate loses, Trump risks losing his way before even setting foot in the Oval Office.

“At the end of the day, he’s going to do what he has to do, but whoever the leader is, he’s going to have to work with him,” Mullin said of Trump, who is seeking feedback from the party. “And that’s what I told him.”

Trump had limited impact on the 2022 leadership race. Scott came away with only 10 votes in challenging McConnell, coming from a base of conservative Republicans he likely already had in his corner.

But Trump’s position within the party is now much stronger. Not only did he win a second term in the White House, but he helped elected officials ride them to victory on Election Day.

Cornyn’s main argument is that he and Trump got along during his first term in office. Cornyn, then the Senate majority whip, helped usher in tax cuts and confirmed several Supreme Court justices.

“As I told President Trump, I’m interested in getting the band back together,” he said on Fox News.

But Cornyn may be at a structural disadvantage given that he has been term-limited out of the job. When McConnell suffered a concussion last year, forcing him to miss the Senate, Thune temporarily took over the reins.

“I liked what John did and how he handled it when Mitch couldn’t be there,” Mullin said. “We got to see a real leadership style at that time and I think it impressed a lot of members at the time.”

Mullin told him Washington Examiner conveyed that perspective to Trump.

Cornyn emphasized more than his previous leadership tenure. His years as a prolific fundraiser for Senate Republicans became another factor in the race.

Both Thune and Cornyn have raised tens of millions for their colleagues this cycle as they try to fill McConnell’s shoes.

Meanwhile, Cornyn has shown a greater willingness to compromise with more conservative members of the Senate should Scott lose.

Mullin, who has had several conversations with Trump about the leadership race, expressed uncertainty about whether he will ultimately decide to enter. The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Thune’s remarks

But Mullin believed his own support, plus that of Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), would help Thune on Wednesday. Both are close allies of Trump, while Daines, as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has close ties to the incoming senators.

“Ultimately, it’s John’s race, but it certainly helps,” Mullin said.

The leadership race is believed to be a hot one between Thune and Cornyn, with neither signaling that they have enough votes to win. Almost all members of the GOP Senate conference remain publicly uncommitted.

But Mullin said there was a “real possibility” Thune could win in the first round. A simple majority is needed, meaning 27 GOP votes.

HOW BIDEN IS TRYING TO SHAPE HIS LEGACY WITH ONLY MONTHS LEFT IN OFFICE

“It wouldn’t surprise me at all,” he said.

Up until this point, the conventional wisdom had been that the race would require two, with Scott eliminated in the first round.