WASHINGTON D.C. — Oklahoma’s two Republican U.S. Senators did not choose the candidate preferred by President-Elect Donald Trump’s inner circle to be Senate majority leader.

Though Trump himself stayed out of the battle for the first new Republican Senate leader in 18 years, many people close to Trump, such as Elon Musk, waged a campaign to get Florida Republican U.S. Senator Rick Scott the top Senate job.

The Senate majority leader not only controls the entire Republican caucus but also controls the schedule of business in the upper chamber of the U.S. Capitol.

Scott had promised to allow Trump to make recess appointments allowing controversial nominees in need of Senate approval to be appointed when the Senate was not in session without a formal vote, though an appointment made in those circumstances would be limited to just two years.

The Constitution does allow the President to make recess appointments to fill critical vacancies when the Senate cannot meet to vote on the confirmation of a nominee; however, the Senate must agree to a long adjournment for the process to legally kick in, which would take some approval from Democrats.

After losing in the first round of secret voting behind closed doors, Scott was removed from contention.

FOX23 spoke with Lankford and Mullin’s offices and found out they had not been planning on voting for Scott, one of them for a very long time.

Both Lankford’s and Mullin’s offices said phones had been ringing off the hook and email inboxes had been filled up with messages supporting Scott, however, it was not clear if all of the messages and calls came from actual Oklahomans, though some certainly were from Oklahoman Republicans who felt compelled to call and give their opinion.

A spokesperson for Mullin’s office said Mullin announced as far back as last April he was supporting South Dakota Republican U.S. Senator John Thune, who would eventually win the job of Senate majority leader.

Thune and Texas Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn began to plan their run to lead the Senate Republicans, whether they were the majority or not, soon after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced he was stepping down as Republican leader after 18 years.

McConnell currently holds the longest tenure any party leader has ever achieved for that position in U.S. history.

Eventually, Cornyn and Thune also agreed to the proposed recess appointment idea supported by Scott.

Lankford’s office would not confirm nor deny reports that Lankford was siding with Cornyn, but there was a lot of social media activity pointing to Lankford being on Cornyn’s team, including from some who work in the U.S. Senate.

The final vote, which was taken in secret, was reported by multiple news outlets to be 29-24 in favor of Thune.

Those in the “MAGA-verse”—a name the large following of President-Elect Trump has been called on social media—said Cornyn and Thune have said negative things about Trump for years and hindered some of his first term goals. However, recently both men have come to the strong support of Trump publicly and legislatively.

“This Republican team is united,” Thune said after winning. “We are united.”

Thune said it was now the time to help Trump carry out his electoral mandate.

“We have a mandate from the American people, a mandate not only to clean up the mess left by the Biden-Harris-Schumer agenda, but also to deliver on President Trump’s priorities,” Thune said.

Also during that vote, Lankford was approved to be the fifth most powerful GOP Senator in Republican Leadership. Lankford was elected Vice Chair of the Republican Caucus and will be a part of the Republican Senate leadership team with Thune.

“Republicans were asked a very simple thing. Can you get us back on track? Over 70 percent of the country right now believes the country is on the wrong track. Our task is going to be very, very simple, to defend our values, to be able to strengthen us as a nation and to be able to bring prosperity to people that are really struggling right now,” Lankford said after being chosen.

Lankford is the first Oklahoman to be in a Senate leadership position in more than 20 years.