New York (AP) President Donald Trump tests how far the Republicans are willing to support his charged agenda “Make America great again”, to tear down government agencies and take measures that are fundamentally in contradiction to the once classic party principles .
At the moment, the Republicans are largely marching in the castle. They are the cabinet candidates with disturbing stories, turning an eye on the expenses that they have acquired and defending the guidelines as soon as Anathema to the mainstream -gop thinking -guidelines that have ejected alarm if the Democrats have ejected would have been responsible.
“They push the envelope what their strength looks like. It is a normal part of a transition, ”said Senator Thom Tillis, Rn.C.
While there were isolated voices of Dissens, the Republican resistance that occurred when Trump ran for an office for the first time was largely. This means that the president, who is supported by Republican majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, is largely uncontrolled when he represents the Federal Government and significantly expanded the power of the presidency.
“If there was doubts, the Republican party’s full approval was fully equipped this week,” said Charlie Sykes, a long -time conservative commentator became a prominent Trump critic. Sykes described it as a “complete surrender”.
In his view, the Republicans have just made the calculation that it was pretty much worth antagonizing Trump at this point. “
New in the recent agenda
The defense came when Trump accepted a number of suggestions that go far beyond everything he did during his first term or promised on the campaign path.
Last week he threatened trade wars with Mexico and Canada, two of the best trading partners in America and closest allies. His tariffs are in the queue for 30 days, but he has damaged the US ratio with Canada, one of the nations with which the United States shares its most sensitive intelligence.
On Tuesday, he proposed that the United States took control of Gaza, perhaps by force. He campaigned for the White House and promised to end “Forever Wars” and the US knitting in the Middle East.
He proposed to take over Greenland, in Canada to the 51st state and threatened to put the Panama channel back under American control. He pursues government property to social media companies such as Tikkok, possibly through a state-owned US sovereign assets. This type of intervention would almost certainly have been branded as a socialist step if they come from Democrats.
After years of the railing against non -elected bureaucrats, the Republicans, as a billionaire Elon Musk and his adjutants, are on the equivalent of an enemy takeover of the government. The Trump-Autorized team has confiscated tax payer data of gaining access to sensitive databases and state payment systems and taking steps to close the US Agency for International Development, which criticized many Republicans for a long time, but also as part of US Russia abroad.
What’s going on with a president who wants loyalty?
“The American people said we want a different direction,” said Senator Kevin Cramer, Rn.d. when he was asked about the steps against USAIid and other agencies. “I don’t find this outside the mind of our system, and the dishes have to decide whether it is outside the literal borders of the president’s authority.”
As for trade taxes, he added: “Most Republicans are not tariffs, but they understand why populism is the taste of the day.”
“Many people, they talk about Trump -Loyalty, as if something is right with a president who wants loyalty. And frankly I would submit that loyalty is a fairly large and rather important part of running a country,” he added.
Surveys find changes in the public views of tariffs and interventions in overseas
Surveys have shown that voters have grown more against the expansion of tariffs in the past four years. About half of the voters (49%) in the November elections preferred the rising taxes that were imported from other countries to the USA compared to 6 out of 10 voters in the 2020 presidential election, which supported higher tariffs. Republican voters still largely prefer politics.
There is also a shift against American interventions. Only about 2 out of 10 (19%) voters said in November that they wanted the United States to play a “more active” role in solving the world’s problems. Republican voters in particular have changed to stand up for a “less active” role. About half (53%) wanted the United States to be less involved, compared to about a third in 2020.
Cabinet comes together and the White House sees a “strong, united and flourishing” GOP
Even Trump’s most controversial nominated seem to look through.
This week Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., A doctor who heads the Senate Committee for Health, Education, Work and Pensions, voted the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary vaccine activism. Cassidy will be re -elected next year and has suspended the pressure of the Republicans of the home states to Kennedy. Cassidy made it clear that he had earnest concerns about Kennedy’s record.
“In contrast to the broken and chaotic democratic party, the Republican Party is strong, united and flourishing,” said Harrison Fields of the White House. Great again. “
Cracks to support?
There were some restricted setbacks from essential allies.
Senator Tom Cotton, R-Kark., Trump said to roam the security protection of former government officials who were threatened by Iran in January 2020 due to their participation in the strike against Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Senator Lindsey Graham, Rs.c., criticized Trump for the pardon on January 6, who had been convicted of attacks by the police, and he said Trump’s proposal for taking Gaza was “problematic”.
“The idea that Americans go on site in Gaza is a non -starter for every senator,” Graham told reporters on Wednesday.
In the tariffs, Senator Chuck Grassley, R-iowa, Trump asked for an exception for potash that are used in fertilizers to save farmers in Iowa.
And Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., Was particularly open.
Otherwise, Republican senators interrupted the potential negative effects of Trump’s actions this week and emphasized the importance of the association behind him.
“I hope my colleagues will support him in his tariffs,” said Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo. .
Hard sale for Democrats because they make themselves for GOP facilitate against GOP
Democrats strive to shorten Trump’s power and appeal to the Republicans to join their cause.
Senator Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Said that Democrats escalate an “base of the deck” for combating Trump’s executive orders, and MUSKS will make access to sensitive payment systems in the financial department. She wants GOP colleagues to facilitate back.
“We have to get up and say in the congress,” she said. “And if only the Democrats do, we have a problem because the Republicans have the majority in both the house and the Senate. Some of them have to stand with us and call it out. “
But the Republicans deny that Trump has crossed and say that his team is in his authority to “pause” programs. The constitution in Article 1 gives the congress to raise taxes, pay debts and to ensure the defense and the general well -being of the country.
“We don’t see this as a threat to Article 1,” said House speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “We see this as an active, committed and committed executive industry that does what the executive should do.”
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Stephen Groves, Lisa Mascaro and Linley Sanders in Washington and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
