'Frustrated and confounded': Trump fumes as GOP senator threatens White House challenge

Speculation continues to grow that Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is gearing up for a potential 2028 presidential bid, and President Donald Trump is apparently not happy with the news, Axios reported Tuesday.

“[Trump is] somewhere between frustrated and confounded as to the reason for all of this," said an insider described by Axios as a “Trump confidante,” speaking with the outlet on the condition of anonymity.

For years, Hawley has demonstrated a willingness to break with his caucus and the White House on various issues. In 2020, he teamed up with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to push for a second $1,200 COVID stimulus check for Americans. And, while Trump did not explicitly oppose Hawley and Sanders’ proposal, Hawley has since adopted positions directly at odds with the White House.

Hawley openly criticized several components of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, particularly its cuts to Medicaid, which were projected to hit Republican-led states particularly hard. He also championed a bill to ban stock trading for members of Congress, voted alongside Democrats to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, and supported legislation to limit Trump’s military authority in the wake of the U.S. attack and takeover of Venezuela.

Trump has also publicly attacked Hawley in public starting last year, calling him a “second-tier” senator over his support for the Congressional stock trading ban, and declaring this month that he should “never be elected to office again” for trying to limit his military authority.

And now, as it becomes apparent that Hawley might be gearing up for a presidential run, one that would be at odds, with Trump’s soft endorsement of both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the president is apparently growing increasingly frustrated, as are his supporters.

"Hawley has turned out to be a major disappointment as of late," said prominent pro-Trump social media influencer Alex Bruesewitz, Axios reported.