A “frustrated” President Donald Trump is staring down a revolt as an increasing number of GOP senators believe he “needs to face consequences” for jeopardizing Republicans’ midterm prospects, Punchbowl News reported Friday.
“The president’s badgering over the SAVE America Act and the filibuster, plus a diverging messaging strategy – are supercharging Senate Republicans’ fears that steep midterm losses could deliver the unthinkable in 2027: a Democratic majority,” Punchbowl News’ report reads. “The president’s actions are having real consequences even before voters head to the ballot box.”
Trump has aggressively pressed Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to force through the SAVE Act – his controversial voter ID bill – despite the legislation not having enough support to pass through the Senate. Cancelling a scheduled Senate recess to force a vote on the bill regardless, as Trump has pressed Thune to do, would be “a bad vote for vulnerable GOP incumbents to take,” Punchbowl News noted, and would also “cost them time campaigning back home.”
Trump has also threatened to derail the confirmation hearing for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche – his pick to fill the role permanently – after two GOP senators withheld their support without concessions in return. Instead, Trump floated postponing Blanche’s confirmation until 2027 when the two outgoing senators – Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) – leave Congress.
Cornyn told Punchbowl News that Trump’s plan wasn’t going to work.
“I don’t think that by saying, ‘Well, we’re just going to wait out Cornyn and Tillis,’ it’s going to solve the problem,” Cornyn said, referring to himself in third person. “There’s a serious question whether, if this goes unresolved, [Blanche] could ever get confirmed.”
The concern among GOP senators over Trump’s spat with his own party was shared by more than just Cornyn and Tillis – both of whom were ousted by Trump either by a Trump-backed opponent or under pressure – Punchbowl News reported.
“Some GOP senators think Trump needs to face the consequences – like a blocked AG nominee – to grasp that the party needs to refocus on attacking Democrats, not each other,” Punchbowl News’ report reads.
“Republican senators increasingly believe Trump is ambivalent about their shared long-term goal of maintaining and growing GOP majorities on the Hill. Even some Trump allies in the Senate think the infighting is counterproductive, and they’re calling out MAGA hardliners over trying to force a vote to cancel the August recess over the SAVE America Act.”