President Donald Trump's obsession with forcing Senate Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act may have catastrophically backfired, by turning more Republicans he needs against him.
The collapse manifested itself on Wednesday when Trump met with Senate Republicans behind closed doors for what was supposed to be a persuasion mission. Instead, he may have made matters worse for himself, reports Politico
"The president came to the Capitol to do what he thinks Senate Republican leadership can't do: flip votes on SAVE and nuke the filibuster," a senior Senate GOP aide confided to Politico. "He left with the same number of votes that existed when he arrived—possibly fewer."
The report notes that even symbolic victories are slipping away after Trump scrapped a planned signing of a major housing affordability bill—a move that infuriated GOP senators already stretched thin by the gridlock.
"I'd like to celebrate victories, not come up with reasons why we failed," Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) lamented while talking to reporters. "We've demonstrated a lot of dysfunction lately."
According to Politico's Calen Razor, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), "has lost control of the floor as hard-liners demand the Senate pass the elections overhaul, " adding that, "... if Johnson and Trump can’t reach a compromise, GOP leadership may cancel all votes for the remainder of the week and next week, too."
