Republicans are privately signaling they're preparing to break with President Donald Trump to end the government shutdown, according to a new report.
The president called on Senate Republicans to "terminate the filibuster" to pass a continuing resolution to end the record 37-day shutdown, after the GOP suffered its worst electoral walloping in years, but they made clear to reporters they planned to ignore his demand, reported Politico.
"One GOP senator, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, laughed out loud when asked about the anti-filibuster push," Politico reported. "Welcome to the dawn of Trump’s lame duck era."
The president remains overwhelmingly popular with Republican voters and remains the party's most dominant force, but Tuesday's electoral blowout was, in the words of a retiring congressman, "a red flag to the GOP" about the looming post-Trump era.
“He has zero ability to work across the aisle,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who is not seeking re-election next year. “He needs to face reality and learn how to talk to Democrats he can reason with.”
Many Republicans expressed frustration that Trump's demand to end the filibuster would backfire once Democrats regain the majority, and the prospect excited Democratic senators.
“Last night’s results look like a recipe for them to lose the House and the Senate next fall,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-T), "and they’re going to hand us a 50-vote majority gift-wrapped when we show up Day 1?”
Some Republicans are getting ready to defy the president if he won't allow compromise to get a government funding bill passed because they know that he doesn't drive up turnout when he not on the ballot – and he won't be again, despite his musings about running for an unconstitutional third term.
"Many are privately signaling they’re prepared to break with Trump if he doesn’t allow Republicans to negotiate on an extension of the Obamacare insurance subsidies Democrats are demanding," Politico reported. "Others blamed the president and his top budget aide, Russ Vought, for favoring hardball moves such as canceling blue-state transportation projects and firing federal employees that only served to cause Democrats to dig in further."
"One irate senior House Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly blamed Trump and Vought for spurring the shutdown with their unprecedented move to unilaterally rescind congressional funding over the summer through a so-called pocket rescission," the report added. “'That decision is why we’re in this mess,' the Republican said."