It’s a change from 2016, when House Republicans were the preferred candidates. At least two senators — J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio — are on the short list for the vice president slot.
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After Donald J. Trump was elected president in 2016, he reached into the Senate for just one high-level member of his administration, picking Jeff Sessions of Alabama as attorney general and rewarding the first senator to endorse him when many other Republicans had kept the candidate at arm’s length.
The list of eager Senate applicants for a job in a second Trump administration could be much longer if Mr. Trump triumphs this year. Unlike in 2016, when many Senate Republicans considered Mr. Trump an unknown quantity, nearly all of them are fully on board and might jump at the chance for an administration gig — even if they just got to the Senate.
At least two Senate Republicans — J.D. Vance of Ohio and Marco Rubio of Florida — are on the short list for the vice president slot, with Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina also having been vetted. Other G.O.P. senators are being talked about for top posts in a Trump White House. It is a distinct change from 2016 when Mr. Trump and his advisers looked to the House, where Trump fervor ran much deeper, for political appointees.
“The Republican Conference right now from top to bottom is currently an all-star team,” said Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican. “These folks are smart, and they are aggressive legislatively. I think it would be natural for President Trump to tap into all of this talent.”
The Senate has long been a spot for presidents to turn to when looking to assemble a governing team, with advantages for both a White House that gains Washington know-how and connections and senators looking for a different way to make an impact or just a dignified exit from Congress and its myriad frustrations.
According to the Senate Historical Office, more than 40 senators have resigned their seats for Cabinet posts, with the first being Samuel Dexter of Massachusetts, who was appointed secretary of war by President John Adams in 1800. The State Department has been the most popular stop, followed by the Treasury, Justice and Interior Departments.
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