President Donald Trump's control over his own party amid a number of breakups and backlashes are challenging his "iron-fisted grip" on the GOP.
Trump has faced several blows in recent weeks and "appears to be slipping" as he sees support drop in ways not seen since the Jan. 6 insurrection, Politico reports on Tuesday.
"But the extraordinary rebukes and headwinds the president is now facing — much of it from within his own party — are revealing a GOP beginning to reckon with a post-Trump future," according to the outlet. "That dynamic crystallized after voters surged to the polls to support Democratic candidates for statewide races in New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia and Pennsylvania, shattering expectations of close contests and signaling that even Trump can’t defy political gravity forever."
Between his refusal and attempt to block the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and then his U-turn this week asking to now release them, Republicans have not backed down from the Epstein vote. He's turned on Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), his longtime MAGA ally, and called her a "traitor," which she says has endangered her family and her own life.
Meanwhile, Trump is losing his battle to force Republicans in Indiana to redistrict — and they're pushing back against his demands.
And in the Supreme Court, Trump could face one of his biggest losses yet: the high court appears to be skeptical of his sweeping tariffs.
"It’s folly to predict how the high court will rule, even when the justices send clear signals during the arguments. But Trump appears to be bracing for defeat that could have devastating consequences for his economic agenda. His administration has repeatedly emphasized the centrality of tariffs to the recent spate of trade deals he’s made around the world," Politico reports.
In the Senate, Trump has tried to push for an end to the filibuster, but this request has been rebuffed by his own party. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has "made clear quickly that Trump wasn’t going to get his way."
Trump also got a harsh reminder last week after issuing pardons for dozens of his allies in the Jan. 6 insurrection that "presidents can’t pardon state-level crimes," as many face state-level crimes. In Georgia, Trump himself faces a criminal case for seeking to overturn the state election results.
Last week, he defended giving H-1B visas to foreign workers, saying Americans don't have "certain talents," which prompted a backlash from some of his staunch supporters.
In a notable shift, his loyal MAGA base has also rejected his ideas behind a 50-year mortgage.
"And their ardent support has sustained the president through his darkest moments: two impeachments, a slew of criminal indictments and a conviction making him the first former-president-turned-felon to retake the White House," Politico reports.
"So when his core allies twice sound the alarm that he’s missed the mark on economic policy proposals, it’s worth taking note."