Donald Trump’s continuous off-the-cuff remarks about the budget showdown, which has led to the government coming to a standstill, are creating headaches for the GOP leadership as they try to turn voters against the Democrats.
According to report from Politico’s Dasha Burns and Jordain Carney, Republicans are not facing the reality that they have “lost the plot,” because the president keeps giving wildly divergent answers about negotiations, thereby plunging GOP messaging into disarray.
Case in point, as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) made themselves available to the press where they blamed Democrats for the impasse, claiming they refuse to negotiate, while Trump was telling reporters he was open to sitting down with them.
After hearing from the leadership, Trump was hustled out to walk back his comments on Truth Social where he wrote “I am happy to work with the Democrats on their Failed Healthcare Policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our Government to re-open.”
According to Politico, Trump’s refusal to stay on message is creating “tension” in the Republican Party.
“Tensions surfaced again Tuesday after a White House budget office memo raised questions about a federal law guaranteeing back pay for furloughed federal workers — one that Johnson and Thune both voted for in 2019,” the report continued before adding, “These episodes are among many where the White House and Hill Republicans have been crosswise on strategy and seemingly not communicating in advance about their key moves.”
Politico is reporting that the confusion on messaging has handed Democrats a gift while leaving the ever-available Johnson and Thune “flat-footed” when confronted with the presidents remarks.
“In contrast to the GOP divisions, Democrats have been largely successful so far in their effort to focus attention on health care: — in particular, on Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies that expire at the end of the year. They are pushing Republicans to engage now while Johnson and Thune insist the problem can be dealt with later, after the government reopens,” the report notes before adding that Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) needled her GOP counterparts with, “I think they are absolutely struggling to figure out how they are going to get out of this.”
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