Instead of letting the Republican Party's Senate leadership wheel and deal with the megabill budget hold-outs, Donald Trump inserted himself — and now has been called out by the editorial board of the conservative Wall Street Journal for his bullying which, it wrote, could put his presidency at risk.
In a late Sunday afternoon editorial, the editors wrote that the president's attacks on Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) are not helping and, in fact, are hampering the prospects of getting a deal done.
On top of that, they note, driving Tillis to announce he won't run for re-election could lead to a lost GOP seat in purple North Carolina — and with it the GOP's slim hold on the Senate.
They wrote that Trump couldn't leave well enough alone as recalcitrant GOP caucus members were being wooed by Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune (SD).
The editorial stated, "A common feature of Donald Trump’s two terms as President is that he can’t stand political prosperity. When events are going in his direction, he has an uncanny habit of handing his opponents a sword." The writers added that the Tillis debacle is a classic example.
Tillis announced his retirement over the weekend after Trump threatened he'd be challenged after expressing doubt about the bill.
According to the editors, Republican control of the Senate is already teetering.
"The GOP has a 53-47 majority now, but Susan Collins always has a tough race in Maine if she decides to run again. Democrats are targeting Joni Ernst in Iowa. In the suicide-isn’t-painless department, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is challenging GOP incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Mr. Paxton may be the only Republican who could lose in Texas given his record of harassing business with lawsuits, impeachment, and other embarrassments," they reported.
Combined with a possible loss of the House with its tiny GOP majority, losing the Senate could make for a dismal two years for the GOP.
"GOP legislative reforms will have no chance if Democrats take the House in 2026. And if they also take the Senate, forget about confirming another Supreme Court nominee. The Trump Presidency will be dead in the water," they warned.
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