Trump himself will likely not be seeking elected office in 2028, but could work to leave his successor with a more MAGA-friendly upper chamber by primarying his main opponents on the way out.
Senators are angry President Trump turned on a respected former leader whom they consider a loyal Republican. Now Mr. Trump faces resistance from his own embittered ranks.
To be sure, Paxton’s win of the Republican nomination doesn’t guarantee his entry into the Senate, and Democratic candidate James Talarico is expected to be a formidable opponent. But Cornyn’s departure from the chamber is now definite.
Senate Republican sources say that President Trump’s agenda for the rest of the year is in serious trouble, including a budget reconciliation package to fund immigration enforcement operations through 2029, after tempers erupted at a meeting between GOP senators and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last week. GOP senators say Trump has no chance of getting taxpayer money to fund construction of the White House ballroom and are warning that he will probably have to abandon or significantly reform his proposal to establish a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund if he wants the stalled budget reconciliation package to have any chance of passing before the midterm election. Read more:…
President Trump has spent the past several months working to reshape the Republican Party, backing primary challenges against lawmakers who have bucked him and seeking to fill Congress with allies who will advance his agenda with minimal resistance. But even as Trump has flexed the power of his endorsement in GOP primaries, the effort comes with a short-term complication: Several of the defeated or retiring incumbents he’s targeted will remain in office until the end of their terms. Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5888349-trump-reshaping-congress-gop-primaries/ #Trump #Congress #Cornyn #Massie #Paxton #BillCassidy #Senate #PrimaryRaces #2026Midterms #MAGA #Republicans
