In a move that highlights the prevailing influence of former President Donald Trump within the Republican Party, GOP Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, has officially endorsed Trump as the party's nominee.
Thune's office confirmed the endorsement to CNN following a phone conversation between Thune and Trump on Saturday night after the primary was called.
The move comes despite the South Dakota Republican's occasional criticism and previous deviations from Trump on various notes.
Last month, Thune had expressed a pragmatic stance, stating he would support the ultimate GOP nominee and acknowledging Trump's strong position in upcoming primaries. Thune emphasized, "If he's the nominee, I'll do what I can to help the team win the presidency and the Senate and end the Biden/Schumer agenda."
Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) have already pledged their support, while Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) endorsed Trump following his campaign suspension.
With Haley as Trump's sole rival in the primary, his recent victory in the New Hampshire primary by a significant margin cements his frontrunner status.
In another development, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth expressed deep concern over a recent controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling that declares embryos as legal persons.
Duckworth, reflecting on the potential impact of in vitro fertilization (IVF), said she was "devastated" and accused Republicans, including Donald Trump, of leading efforts to curtail women's reproductive rights.
"Let's make it clear: Republicans will say whatever they need to say to try to cover themselves on this, but they've been clear, and Donald Trump has been the guy leading this effort to eliminate women's reproductive rights and reproductive choice," Duckworth told ABC News.
Duckworth criticized Republicans for their response to the ruling, highlighting her Access to Family Building Act, which guarantees access to IVF and reproductive services. She challenged Republicans to support the bill, emphasizing that none had contacted her after the Alabama ruling.
The Alabama ruling has reignited debates surrounding reproductive rights.
Duckworth, who underwent IVF to have her two daughters, warned of the ruling's potential consequences, stating that discarding non-viable fertilized eggs could now be considered manslaughter or murder under the new legal interpretation.
