Trump's White House is making things 'really hard on Republicans': Ex-GOP lawmaker

Former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) is warning that President Donald Trump and Russell Vought are making things difficult for Republicans as they continue to make drastic cuts to create leverage in the ongoing government shutdown battle.

The White House fears the Democrats' health care message is connecting with voters over the GOP's claims about the shutdown, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

"Advisers are worried that the GOP will take the blame for allowing healthcare subsidies to expire, raising costs for millions of Americans ahead of next year’s midterm elections, according to administration officials," the report said.

There is concern that the healthcare debate could ultimately hurt Republicans in the midterms.

The Democrats are demanding that Congress pass a continuing resolution to raise the debt ceiling only if they reestablish the subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year. As open enrollment begins, healthcare companies are providing price quotes based on the subsidies being withdrawn, meaning health insurance premiums will increase. The Kaiser Family Foundation research team reported last month that premiums are expected to double in 2026 without the tax credits.

A KFF poll also showed that 78% of U.S. adults "want Congress to extend the tax credits that lower monthly premiums for millions buying insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace," Newsweek reported on Friday. "Even among MAGA-aligned Republicans, a majority—57%—say they should remain."

"The closed-door hand-wringing stands in contrast to the public bravado conveyed by the president and his top advisers," the Journal reported of Trump's team.

Speaking to MSNBC on Friday, Dent said that Republican lawmakers are hearing from voters in their district after the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" cut Medicaid and ACA funding.

"Republicans know they're vulnerable on the health care issue," said Dent.

"This shutdown reminds me very much of 2013 when Republicans said they were going to defund Obamacare," recalled Dent, who was in Congress at the time. "And if they didn't get that, they were not going to vote to fund the government. I'm going to hold my breath until you turn blue. We all knew it was a dumb idea. Then it was a bad idea. They got nothing for it."

Trump has a lot of good can happen during shutdowns, noted Dent. And Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought has threatened "mass firings." He warned, "This can boomerang back on the Republicans."

Dent said that "Trump and Vought are going to make this really hard on Republicans. And at the end of the day, not in the shutdown, but after the shutdown is over, Republicans know they're going to have to address the premium subsidies."