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Republicans in Congress are finding that they can, from time to time, say “no” to Donald Trump. On May 18, the president’s administration announced the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who, it says, have been victims of “political persecution” by the state. Critics see the fund as a mechanism that could favor the president’s allies.
The initiative sparked strong reactions within the Republican Party. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky called it “extraordinarily wrong and morally unacceptable,” while Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina described it as “a paycheck for people who don’t deserve it.”
The opposition has also affected another White House priority: a $70 billion bill to strengthen immigration control, which is facing delays in the Senate.
This kind of resistance is relatively new. Since Trump returned to office, most Republican lawmakers have supported his candidacies and policies, from cabinet appointments to trade tariffs and the use of military force.
However, as the party prepares for the midterm elections and faces the president's declining popularity, some Republicans have begun to take a more independent stance. Some do so for reasons of principle, others to limit the political costs of presidential policies, while some may even seek political revenge.
On May 26, Senator John Cornyn of Texas became the latest sitting Republican to lose a primary to a Trump-backed candidate. Although his term ends in seven months, he remains in a position to influence the legislative process.
There are currently nine Republican senators who are not seeking re-election or are leaving the political scene. Many of them have had long-standing clashes with Trump. McConnell, for example, has previously described the president as “a disgusting human being.”
Thom Tillis also announced his retirement from politics less than a day after opposing the bill known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," drawing the president's ire.
Along with some moderate Republicans from states where voters value political independence, they form what has been informally dubbed the “YOLO group” — lawmakers who no longer feel compelled to toe the Trump line for fear of the MAGA base. With the narrow Republican majority in Congress, even a few dissenting votes could block important parts of the president’s agenda.
Tillis has been one of the president's most consistent critics, opposing his positions on immigration, aid to Ukraine and federal spending. He recently delayed the confirmation of Trump's nominee to head the Federal Reserve until an investigation he viewed as politically motivated into the institution's current chairman was dropped.
In another case, he was one of three Republican senators who did not vote against a Democratic-backed measure to limit the president's powers regarding Iran. The bill passed by a vote of 50 to 47. Four other Republicans also helped advance the initiative. After the developments in the Senate, the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives canceled a vote on a similar bill, assessing that it was also likely to pass.
John Cornyn is considered the newest member of this group of independent senators. Until now, he had voted in line with Trump 99% of the time. However, despite efforts to maintain good relations with the president, Trump supported his primary rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
According to political observers, this action has increased dissatisfaction within the party and has contributed to the suspension of the bill to strengthen the enforcement of immigration laws. The Republican leader in the Senate, John Thune, acknowledged that the political climate is directly affecting legislative developments.
Meanwhile, some of the president's most personal projects are facing opposition. Senate Republicans recently removed $1 billion related to a project to build a ceremonial hall near the White House, a project that Trump had said would be funded by private donors.
A growing number of Republicans are also looking for ways to limit the $1.8 billion fund for alleged victims of “lawfare.” Senator Bill Cassidy argued that American citizens are more concerned about paying rent, food and gas than creating such a fund.
Although critics on the left question the sincerity of this belated political awakening, the fact remains that Republican opposition is creating real difficulties for the president. When reporters asked Trump if he was losing control of Republican senators, he replied: “I don’t really know.”
However, this internal rebellion may be temporary. Many of the senators who are opposing the president are expected to be replaced by figures more loyal to him. On the other hand, the upcoming elections could give Democrats control of Congress.
For Donald Trump, every lost month could matter in the effort to achieve his political agenda./ The Economist
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