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AXIOS (Hans Nichols) - Inside Trump's Senate playbook Fri Jul 31 02:05:06 2026

President Trump has three go-to moves for GOP senators who frustrate him : persuade them when he can, ignore them when he must and bully them at will. Why it matters: The approach doesn't always produce results. But it almost always provides drama . Persuade: Trump dispatched two top deputies to the Senate GOP lunch on Wednesday to make the case, in person, for a third reconciliation bill with elements of the SAVE Act . - Then he sent in the big guns. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles huddled with the Senate GOP leaders shortly after their lunch. - When Trump faced a Senate rebuke over the Iran conflict last month, the White House aggressively lobbied wavering Republicans to flip their votes. Ignore: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche doesn't need Senate confirmation to do the job, Trump declared on Truth Social on Thursday. - He can serve as acting attorney general indefinitely. Problem solved. Bully: Trump began the week by demanding that Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) scrap the filibuster and pass the SAVE Act. - "Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!" Trump wrote. What we're watching: Bullying appeared to be Trump's preferred tactic this week. By Wednesday, he was openly questioning whether Thune should remain majority leader. - Thune's best defense was to downplay his own powers. - "He thinks I can wave the magic wand," Thune told Politico. "I wish it were that easy." - Trump's penchant for bullying has emboldened some senators to stand their ground — such as John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who have blocked Blanche's nomination. Both will be out of the Senate in January. Zoom in: Trump's anger with the Senate keeps flaring, despite Thune's success in rapidly confirming his nominees. - With Jay Clayton's confirmation as director of national intelligence, the GOP-led Senate has confirmed 515 of Trump's nominees — with another batch of 74 on the way. - That's a faster pace than the first administration and leaves only a handful of civilian nominations remaining on the Executive Calendar. - Trump now has the authority to install many of the remaining nominees in acting roles across the federal government. Zoom out: With one week left before the August recess, Senate Republican vibes are going from bad to worse. - New polls show Americans continuing to sour on the GOP. - The MAGA base is still enraged over the SAVE Act. - Everything from the NDAA to crypto legislation is hitting roadblocks. And Trump doesn't appear interested in easing the pressure on his own party. The bottom line: Trump reserves the right to toggle among his three approaches, depending on his needs and mood. - And while he can ignore the Senate on some personnel, he can't ignore it on legislation. He still needs 50 votes — or, in some cases, 60. - "When crazy becomes the norm, it feels pretty routine," one GOP senator told Axios.

President Trump has three go-to moves for GOP senators who frustrate him : persuade them when he can, ignore them when he must and bully them at will. Why it matters: The approach doesn't always produce results. But it almost always provides drama . Persuade: Trump dispatched two top deputies to the Senate GOP lunch on Wednesday to make the case, in person, for a third reconciliation bill with elements of the SAVE Act . - Then he sent in the big guns. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles huddled with the Senate GOP leaders shortly after their lunch. - When Trump faced a Senate rebuke over the Iran conflict last month, the White House aggressively lobbied wavering Republicans to flip their votes. Ignore: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche doesn't need Senate confirmation to do the job, Trump declared on Truth Social on Thursday. - He can serve as acting attorney general indefinitely. Problem solved. Bully: Trump began the week by demanding that Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) scrap the filibuster and pass the SAVE Act. - "Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!" Trump wrote. What we're watching: Bullying appeared to be Trump's preferred tactic this week. By Wednesday, he was openly questioning whether Thune should remain majority leader. - Thune's best defense was to downplay his own powers. - "He thinks I can wave the magic wand," Thune told Politico. "I wish it were that easy." - Trump's penchant for bullying has emboldened some senators to stand their ground — such as John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who have blocked Blanche's nomination. Both will be out of the Senate in January. Zoom in: Trump's anger with the Senate keeps flaring, despite Thune's success in rapidly confirming his nominees. - With Jay Clayton's confirmation as director of national intelligence, the GOP-led Senate has confirmed 515 of Trump's nominees — with another batch of 74 on the way. - That's a faster pace than the first administration and leaves only a handful of civilian nominations remaining on the Executive Calendar. - Trump now has the authority to install many of the remaining nominees in acting roles across the federal government. Zoom out: With one week left before the August recess, Senate Republican vibes are going from bad to worse. - New polls show Americans continuing to sour on the GOP. - The MAGA base is still enraged over the SAVE Act. - Everything from the NDAA to crypto legislation is hitting roadblocks. And Trump doesn't appear interested in easing the pressure on his own party. The bottom line: Trump reserves the right to toggle among his three approaches, depending on his needs and mood. - And while he can ignore the Senate on some personnel, he can't ignore it on legislation. He still needs 50 votes — or, in some cases, 60. - "When crazy becomes the norm, it feels pretty routine," one GOP senator told Axios.