Washington: Increasing numbers of Republican lawmakers in Congress are breaking with President Donald Trump, showing more readiness than in past years to oppose his priorities, Reuters reported.
Over the past week, several Senate and House GOP factions publicly pushed back against Trump’s actions toward Iran, declined $1 billion in funding linked to the White House ballroom, forced him to scale back a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, and blocked his domestic surveillance legislation.
The House also moved ahead with legislation to aid Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia, a bill that appears likely to be vetoed by the president.
Observers from both parties caution against calling these developments a full-scale revolt. Still, a growing group of Republicans — including some whom Trump previously targeted for punishment — are showing a willingness to depart from his line. That emerging coalition could challenge several of his key initiatives between now and Election Day.
A retiring Republican senator said that as the election gets nearer, lawmakers are increasingly motivated to act in accordance with how they believe their constituents expect them to vote.
Democrats, however, downplayed the significance, arguing that the departures largely involve those whom Trump had already pushed out, which they say underscores his ongoing influence over the party.
A White House official attributed GOP dissent to routine election-year calculations, noting that not every member will accept political costs on every issue. The White House spokeswoman emphasized the administration’s intent to maintain a close partnership with Republican lawmakers to advance the president’s agenda.
Growing GOP Resistance
For most of Trump’s time in office, Republicans publicly backed him—approving his controversial cabinet picks, seldom challenging his executive orders, and passing his major bills even when worried about bigger deficits or cuts to programs like Medicaid. Recently, though, lawmakers and staff say frustration has grown after Trump opposed some Republican senators’ re-election bids and made disruptive announcements that at times threatened GOP plans in Congress.
The turning point came shortly before the Memorial Day recess, when Trump’s decision to oppose a prominent senator’s re-election and his announcement about the “anti-weaponization” fund. His actions led Senate Republicans to scrap a $70 billion immigration-enforcement bill and adjourn in anger and frustration.
The Senate ultimately passed the immigration enforcement funding measure, and Republicans rejected a Democratic amendment aimed at blocking the fund, though some expressed concern it might be used to benefit individuals involved in the January 6 attack and other Trump allies.
Trump appears intent on nominating a loyal supporter as temporary Director of National Intelligence, despite reservations from influential Republicans. The Senate’s top Republican leader made clear he would not support a permanent nominee who lacks the required experience, saying the law sets a standard that must be met.
Nominations Fights Ahead
So far, Republican opposition on the House and Senate floors has been largely symbolic. A trio of electorally vulnerable Republican senators joined Democrats in an unsuccessful effort to ban the “anti-weaponization” fund, and there were other GOP attempts to end the initiative that also failed. Proponents of the administration’s border-security push defended their votes as evidence of solidarity with the president.
Attention now turns to expected nominations that could be more contentious. One of the president’s likely choices for attorney general — his former personal lawyer — could confront serious resistance in the Senate, beginning with the Judiciary Committee. A key Republican on that committee said his support would depend on how the nominee responds to questioning, stressing that the attorney general’s role is not that of the president’s private counsel and must be committed to enforcing the law.
