Senate Republicans are coming to grips with another Donald Trump nomination

WASHINGTON — Republican voters are on track to nominate Donald Trump for president for a third successive election cycle, leaving his GOP skeptics in the Senate at various points in the five stages of grief as he marches to the nomination.

Some, like Sen. John Cornyn, of Texas, have reached acceptance following Trump's comfortable victories in Iowa and New Hampshire to kick off the primary.

Cornyn, a former Republican whip, has previously argued that Trump cannot win a 2024 general election due to his inability to appeal to voters outside his core base. Now, he's now one of 30 senators to endorse Trump for president.

“I think the single most important thing we can do is to replace Joe Biden,” Cornyn said Wednesday. “So I think it’s important to unify behind the candidate, and I respect the voters’ choices in Iowa and New Hampshire. I think you’ll see that repeated in South Carolina.”

He added a piece of advice for Trump: Pick Sen. Tim Scott, of South Carolina, thefailed GOP presidential candidate who is well liked by Senate colleagues, as vice presidential nominee.

But other senior Republicans are closer to the bargaining phase, unwilling to pronounce Trump the nominee but saying they'll back him if he secures the nomination.

"Voters are breaking heavily in his favor. He's in a commanding position, and I've said all along: I'll support the nominee," Senate Minority Whip John Thune, of South Dakota, who had endorsed Scott for president, told reporters. "So if [Trump is] the nominee, I'll do what I can to help the team win the presidency and the Senate."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, who has a tumultuous relationship with Trump, declined Tuesday to answer multiple questions about the former