New Report Claims Trump Is Trying To Undermine Negotiations On Infrastructure Deal, But Republicans Appear To Be Shrugging Off Ex-President

Lord have mercy.


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631 points

According to a report from Politico, former President Donald Trump has been actively trying to encourage Republican lawmakers to cease negotiating with Democrats on Biden’s infrastructure deal, but that’s not working out very well. The infrastructure deal is popular and would assist with road repairs, internet upgrades, and other initiatives. Republicans are shrugging off the twice-impeached one-term president’s requests, and they want Trump actually to support the deal. But, Trump is reportedly upset that an infrastructure deal wasn’t passed when he was in office.

“The former president has sounded off repeatedly in the past week about the negotiations taking place between Senate Republicans and Democrats on the Hill and in the White House,” Politico reports. “He’s encouraged GOP lawmakers to abandon the talks and criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for even entertaining them. Senate Republicans have said, in interviews, that they have directly asked the former president not just to tone down his criticism but to actually support the infrastructure deal.”

“The last time I told him there’s not going to be any tax increases, and I’m of the opinion let’s do a deal that’s good for the roads, ports, and bridges. Let’s do it,” said Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.). “I appreciate the effort of everyone, and I’m hoping we get there.”

But Trump wants to kill the deal.

“Trump’s opposition, aides insist, is based on the merits,” the report continues. “At a time of fear around inflation, he opposes additional spending and believes the framework of the potential compromise is far too tilted towards environmentally-conscious projects and not hard infrastructure. But much of what has driven Trump’s approach to legislation in the past has been self-interest and personal grievance. And in discussing current infrastructure talks, Trump aides concede that they remain upset that a big bill wasn’t passed while he was in the Oval.”

“Though he has increasingly sought to undermine negotiations, Trump’s efforts to derail any infrastructure package have, so far, mostly been met with a shrug on Capitol Hill,” the outlet reports.

“I’ve read the statements,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). “But it’s a little short on specificity.”

According to the report, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio.) announced on Wednesday that there was an agreement on the “major issues” after days long back and forth between top Republicans and the White House.

“I don’t think there’s a lot there,” a senior GOP aide said of Trump’s attempts at undermining the deal. “It’s not reverberating here. I don’t think Rob Portman sees this and goes, ‘Oh no, I have to give up.’”

Trump has thrown such a hissy fit over the deal that Portman had to ask Trump to stop criticizing it and support it instead. The ex-president’s attempt at sabotaging the deal that would greatly benefit the U.S. speaks volumes of his flawed character. The former president seems to really hate this country.

You can read the full report here.

Featured image via Gage Skidmore/Flickr, under Creative Commons license 2.0

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