Trump has claimed his victory was a mandate. Washington’s realities are already challenging that
4 min read
Donald Trump’s victory in the November election was hailed by the former president as a decisive mandate, yet his early struggles in Washington suggest that governing may not be as straightforward as he anticipated. Despite his repeated claims that his win would remove any obstacles to his agenda, his recent actions have exposed the limitations of his influence and revealed fractures within the Republican Party.
One of the first signs of trouble came when Trump attempted to derail a crucial government funding bill, which was designed to keep the government open until March. His goal was to force a debt ceiling agreement ahead of his return to office, but this move failed to achieve its intended outcome. Instead, it highlighted deep divisions within the GOP. On Thursday, 38 Republicans defied Trump’s demands, and by Saturday, 170 House Republicans and numerous GOP senators had voted in favor of the funding bill, without the debt ceiling provision. This outcome showed that while Trump maintains significant influence, his control over the party is not absolute.
Trump’s insistence on this issue revealed a significant rift between him and other Republican leaders. For example, after initially pushing for his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to be appointed to the U.S. Senate, he faced quiet opposition from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Despite efforts by Trump to leverage private back channels to convince DeSantis to appoint Lara Trump, the governor resisted. Ultimately, Trump distanced himself from the situation, with Lara Trump withdrawing from consideration shortly thereafter. This episode, along with Trump’s inability to push through his preferred pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, exposed the limits of his sway over key GOP figures.
Additionally, one of Trump’s key allies, Florida Senator Rick Scott, lost his bid to lead the incoming Republican Senate majority to Senator John Thune. While Trump did not formally endorse Scott’s bid, many of his closest allies, including Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and billionaire Elon Musk, supported Scott. Despite these endorsements, Trump’s lack of formal backing ultimately couldn’t secure Scott’s victory.
However, despite these early setbacks, Trump has remained the dominant figure within the Republican Party. He has continued to push unconventional picks for his Cabinet, including former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense, despite numerous controversies surrounding Hegseth’s personal life and past behavior. While some GOP senators have expressed reservations, Trump has stood firm in supporting his picks, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of health and human services and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence.
Trump’s allies have made it clear that they expect unwavering loyalty from Republican lawmakers. At a recent event, Charlie Kirk warned senators that any resistance to Trump’s Cabinet nominees would result in primary challenges. Musk, too, celebrated his role in forcing a smaller, less expansive government funding bill, which passed with bipartisan support. He triumphantly posted a comparison of the original 1,500-page bill to the pared-down version that eventually passed, calling it a victory for conservatives.
Yet, frustrations are beginning to surface within the GOP, with some lawmakers expressing concern that Trump has spent valuable political capital on issues that don’t yield tangible results. Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw, for example, lamented that Republicans were forced to negotiate on a funding bill and debt ceiling increase just to appease Trump’s demands. Despite this, Trump seemed resigned to the reality that not all conservative priorities can be achieved immediately.
As the debt limit looms over the upcoming Congress, some lawmakers are bracing for further challenges. Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota acknowledged that the issue of the debt ceiling would be a difficult one to tackle, particularly with the Democrats likely holding out for concessions in exchange for lifting the cap.
While Trump’s influence remains formidable, it is becoming increasingly clear that his transition back into the White House will not be without obstacles. His early struggles in Washington serve as a reminder that even a politician with his level of support can face significant challenges in navigating the complexities of governing. With a slim GOP majority in the House and a Senate that remains less beholden to Trump, his time in office is likely to be marked by intense negotiations and battles for control within his own party. As former Trump advisor Steve Bannon remarked, the next four years will be full of turbulent moments as the former president contends with the realities of power in Washington.
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