U.S. Sen. John Thune, of South Dakota, was chosen by his peers to lead his Republican colleagues in the 119th U.S. Congress. Thune will replace Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell – who has been serving in this capacity since 2007. Thune, who previously had a contentious relationship with President Trump, has buried the hatchet. When asked in an interview, Thune stated, “We’ve had our differences in the past, but I also know that the country has big challenges, and I think in order to deal with those challenges, you’ve got to have people that can sit down and work together.”