Mediaboss Marketing

From AP/REX/Shutterstock.

Donald Trump, despite his most recent tweets, is as unpopular as ever, even among his own supporters. After 200 days in office, the president has little to boast about, and a major F.B.I. investigation hanging over his head. And Republican lawmakers, back in their home districts for the August recess, are facing tough questions about why, with complete control of Congress, they have mostly failed to pass any meaningful legislation. This is the third time in 100 years weve had this alignment of government that weve got to get it done or else I [am] really worried our country will continue down a bad path, House Speaker Paul Ryan warned in Wisconsin this week.

With Septembers debt-ceiling vote looming over Congress, things may get worse before they get better. But for the White House, the honeymoon is already over. Senate Republicansmany of whom are not up for reelection until 2020, or even 2022are growing more defiant of the president with every passing week, with at least a half-dozen lawmakers actively thwarting his agenda. Last month, Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski both defied the administrations numerous attempts to pass a health-care bill through Congress, citing the effect repealing Obamacare would have on their constituents. I didnt come here to represent the Republican Party. I am representing my constituents and the state of Alaska, Murkowski reportedly said to Trumps face. In the final minutes of Mitch McConnells dramatic, last-ditch attempt to pass a skinny repeal bill, Senator John McCain joined them, crushing the administrations hopes with a simple thumbs-down sign.

The presidents insistence that Congress return to the drawing board have mostly fallen on deaf ears. Other admonishments have been rejected entirely. As far as Im concerned, they shot their wad on health care and thats the way it is, Utah Senator Orrin Hatchone of the chambers oldest members and third in line to the presidencyrecently told Politico. On Fox News Sunday, he groused that it would be miraculous if the administration could achieve any of the lower tax rates they are promising. And on Twitter he blasted Trump for banning transgender people from the U.S. military.

As the president finds himself increasingly isolated, several outspoken Republicans have grown bolder. Nebraskas Ben Sasse, a longtime Trump critic since before the election, frequently denounces Trumps Twitter habits and once, when asked to describe Trump in a word, could only manage current president. Jeff Flake has gone further, publishing a book calling Trumps platform free of significant thought and condemning his politics as xenophobic. Much of the grandstanding can be chalked up to early 2020 jockeying, with a handful of potential candidates preparing themselves for the possibility that Trump may not run againor may not even be president at allwhen the next election rolls around.

The path to impeachment runs through the House, still a more Trump-friendly stronghold. But if he does find himself forced out over scandal, it will be in large part because Senate Republicans decided to stop giving the president cover. Senator Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has already signaled his growing impatience with the Trump White Houses frequent delays in handing over pertinent information. (Special counsel Robert Muellers own investigation, which is running parallel to Burrs, recently impaneled a grand jury.) And then there is Senator Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a three-decade veteran of Congress, who surprised his colleagues by ramping up his own committees efforts to investigate and subpoena the Trumpworld denizens involved in the Russia investigation, as well as the firing of former F.B.I. director James Comey. Grassley has already gone after high-profile members of Trumps inner circle, promising to summon Donald Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort to probe their connections to Russian agents. They may be new to town, but they surely recognize what Chuck Grassleys reputation is, the senator told, referring himself in the third person. And if they dont know it, theyve been told, I bet, a hundred times, he added. I think Ive got a pretty good reputation for being what I call an equal-opportunity overseer.

Even the presidents defenders seem to be distancing themselves of late. Honestly, I enjoy the fact that Congress, the Senate in particular, is charting a course and developing legislation and, lets face it, leading on all of these issues, Senator Bob Corker told CNN on Monday, When my members in the committee say, Well, we have no one here from the administration to weigh in on this, I say, Be careful what you ask for. Its pretty nice the way things are.

Read the original post:
Republicans Have Reached a Tipping Point with Trump - Vanity Fair