Former President Donald Trump had an iron grip on the Republican party, but that’s waning as GOP senators are shrugging off his threats. The twice-impeached one-term president has been trying to sabotage President Biden’s infrastructure deal and even threatened to primary Republicans that went along with it. However, 17 Republicans defied Trump. According to the New York Times, many Republicans are no longer cowering in fear of the former president. Instead, they’re working with Democrats on the popular infrastructure deal.
“But the reaction inside the Senate, where many members of his party once cowered from Mr. Trump’s angry tweets and calculated their votes to avoid his wrath, was mostly yawns,” the outlet reports.
“Now, the legislation appears on a glide path to pass the Senate with a small but significant share of G.O.P. support — possibly even including Senator Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican and minority leader who rarely crossed the former president when he ran the chamber,” the report continues.
It’s not just moderate Republicans.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
“It is one of the most significant steps to date by elected Republicans to defy Mr. Trump, not only by the moderates who have routinely broken with him but by a wider group that may signal his waning influence on Capitol Hill,” the outlet reports.
“The bill has survived largely because most of the key Republican senators involved in negotiating it are not operating under his influence,” the report continues. “And others willing to join them found the allure of a politically popular bipartisan accomplishment that would benefit their constituents stronger than their fear of Mr. Trump.”
“Even Mr. McConnell, who helped to orchestrate his two impeachment acquittals, now appears ready to buck the former president and embrace the infrastructure package,” the report adds.
Predictably, on Saturday, Trump tore into the infrastructure deal and targeted Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.
“Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill is a disgrace,” Trump wrote. “If Mitch McConnell was smart, which we’ve seen no evidence of, he would use the debt ceiling card to negotiate a good infrastructure package.”
“It is a gift to the Democrat Party, compliments of Mitch McConnell and some RINOs [Republicans in name only], who have no idea what they are doing,” he added.
No, sir, it’s a gift to the country to fix our crumbling bridges. Trump has reportedly been upset that an infrastructure deal wasn’t passed while he was in office, so he’s lashing out at President Biden for accomplishing what his predecessor failed to do.
You can read the rest of the report here.
Featured image via Political Tribune gallery
