Trump's shadow sways over GOP causing McConnell and co. to 'sweat' on border bill: report

The shadow president in Palm Beach, Florida is flexing his political sway over the GOP to terminate a Southern Border bill and bruise the current guard led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) in the process.

Former President Donald Trump's MAGA faithful are attempting to stick a fork in the $118 billion to fortify border enforcement policy with support for war-torn Ukraine, Israel, and other U.S. allies "to make Senate leadership sweat," according to Axios, citing a source.

The outlet notes that Trump's corner is attempting to grow from its current 20 senators to reach 41 senators to excoriate the bill in the Senate publicly.

Despite the rumblings among the GOP that Trump's effort could gather more support, McConnell remained steadfast that the bill took immediate action to deal with critical national security issues, including a rare bipartisan border deal.

“This is a humanitarian and security crisis of historic proportions,” he said, according to CNN's Manu Raju. “And Senate Republicans have insisted — not just for months but, for years — that this urgent crisis demanded action.

“It is now time for Congress to take action on supplemental national security legislation that finally meets those challenges head-on... Make no mistake, the gauntlet has been thrown and America needs to pick it up.”

Already, scandal-plagued Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said it was cheating Hispanic communities of a proper voice.

“The so-called ‘bipartisan’ border negotiations in the Senate have yielded an unacceptable deal," he wrote on his official website.

They expect Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and John Cornyn (R-TX) to follow Trump and vote against it.

The same may go for vice presidential running mate contender Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and also Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who Axios noted hails from Sen. James Lankford's state.

Lankford is one of the lawmakers who helped broke the deal.

"This is a very bad bill for his career," said Trump on Monday said about Lankford, whom he endorsed 2022 and praised for being strong on the border and "strongly committed to America First, and everything it stood for, and likewise strongly committed to me, as President."