Senate GOP meetings devolve into 'shouting matches' as tensions flare: report

The Senate GOP is breaking down into finger-pointing and "shouting matches" as tensions flare between the leadership and hardliners about passing a border and foreign aid deal, reported Punchbowl News on Wednesday.

"Private Senate GOP meetings have devolved into testy exchanges over immigration, Donald Trump and Ukraine, including Tuesday’s closed policy lunch," said the report. In particular, a handful of Senate Republicans revolted against Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), "questioning whether the Kentucky Republican is using a tentative immigration and border security package as an end run with Democrats to help push through more money for Ukraine."

Punchbowl's founder Jake Sherman tweeted: "Their meetings are devolving into shouting matches. There's sniping at the leadership, accusation hurling, motivation questioning."

At the lunch on Tuesday, McConnell reportedly defended the push to get Ukraine aid through, noting that Republicans spent years talking about the urgency of defeating Russian aggression — but he is increasingly meeting resistance from members who don't agree with the mission, which comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sounds the alarm about the risk that Trump could capitulate to Vladimir Putin.

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One of McConnell's sharpest critics is Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who argued that Republicans "haven't really talked about" supporting Ukraine at all and has said the GOP Leader "couldn't negotiate his way out of a paper bag."

The GOP is scheduled to hold another private meeting today to try to smooth the issues over.

All of this comes as Senate Republicans are already at odds with House Republicans, who appear categorically unwilling to approve any foreign defense aid without draconian new restrictions on asylum and legal immigration. McConnell has issued a public warning to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) that this intransigence could make the world less safe.