President Trump reminded Republicans on Thursday how easily he could explode his party’s carefully crafted messaging strategy, signaling how difficult it will be to stay unified in the face of Democratic attacks in a challenging midterm election environment.
The House ultimately approved a short-term spending package in an evening vote after Republicans fell in line. The legislation advanced to the Senate, where it faced an uncertain fate because of opposition from both parties; passage requires a supermajority of 60 votes and Democrats are vowing to filibuster.
But Trump nearly upended the GOP's whole strategy. Republicans in Congress were set to blame Democrats for risking a government shutdown over a disagreement on immigration policy. Then the president, in an early morning tweet, voiced unexpected opposition to the bill, putting Republicans on defense just hours before the planned House vote.
The confusion wouldn’t clear for three hours — until House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said that Trump reaffirmed his support for the legislation in a telephone conversation 90 minutes earlier. The episode illustrated the challenges ahead for Republicans as they seek to stay on message in the upcoming congressional campaigns.
“If you don’t like his decision today, just wait till tomorrow,” Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, a 20-year House veteran, told the Washington Examiner, chuckling as he took a jab at Trump.
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01.23.2025