{"id":2341094,"date":"2024-09-14T07:07:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-14T11:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-flexes-his-muscle-in-congress-in-preview-of-second-term-power-struggles-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-14T07:12:57","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T11:12:57","slug":"trump-flexes-his-muscle-in-congress-in-preview-of-second-term-power-struggles-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-flexes-his-muscle-in-congress-in-preview-of-second-term-power-struggles-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump flexes his muscle in Congress in preview of second-term power struggles &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-flexes-his-muscle-in-congress-in-preview-of-second-term-power-struggles-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2341094&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses former President Donald Trump&#8217;s increasing influence \u200bin\u200c Congress as\u200b he seeks \u2063a second term in the \u200dWhite House, particularly focusing on recent \u200btensions with \u2064House Republicans over government spending and election\u200b security. Trump urged GOP members\u200d to \u2064shut down the\u200c government unless measures supporting\u200b &#8220;Election Security&#8221; \u2062were included in the \u200cfunding plan, complicating efforts by House Speaker Mike Johnson to \u200dpass a continuing resolution before facing \u2064a vote. Trump&#8217;s direct involvement \u2062in legislative matters is framed \u2063as a precursor to the \u2062challenges Republican \u2062leaders\u2062 will\u2064 face if he\u200d regains the presidency, marking a significant shift in party dynamics and governance.<\/p>\n<p>Political\u2064 strategists highlight\u200d that Trump&#8217;s leadership style diverges from traditional presidential-congressional collaboration,\u2064 as he has a tendency to publicly dictate party agendas, pressuring House members to align with his views. This\u200d creates a precarious situation for Speaker Johnson, who\u2064 may struggle\u2063 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/emmer-plots-path-to-speakership-as-possible-successor-to-scalise\/\" title=\"Emmer eyes speakership as potential Scalise successor.\">maintain party unity<\/a>, especially with the presence \u200dof hardline conservatives in \u2064the \u2064GOP.\u2064 The piece underscores that a potential Trump presidency could lead to significant power struggles within Congress, with ongoing difficulties expected in enacting legislation and maintaining \u2062a stable majority. The historical context of \u200dTrump&#8217;s relationships with previous\u2063 House speakers, like Paul Ryan, further illustrates the complex political landscape \u200bthat leaders\u2063 will \u2062need to \u2062navigate to fulfill their legislative responsibilities.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump flexes his muscle in Congress in preview of second-term power struggles<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1748571\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Former President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a> called on <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>House Republicans<\/a> to shut down the government over a spending deal last week, giving GOP lawmakers a glimpse at the chamber&rsquo;s life under a second Trump administration.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The former president&rsquo;s wading into congressional affairs caused further problems for Republican leadership, who were trying to whip support for a continuing resolution that attached the voter integrity SAVE Act and would extend funding until March of next year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Trump, who is running for a second shot at the <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>White House<\/a> against Vice President Kamala Harris, argued in a Truth Social post that the GOP should not fund the government unless the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-lawmakers-ready-to-turn-page-on-spending-battle-as-gop-discusses-paths-forward-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"House lawmakers ready to turn page on spending battle as GOP discusses paths forward - Washington Examiner\">legislation includes &#038;ldquo<\/a>;assurances on Election Security.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s words, combined with similar sentiments from his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), were another nail in the coffin for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who had to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3150854\/house-gop-scraps-vote-government-spending-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>pull the spending bill<\/a> before it went to the floor for a vote &mdash; a precursor to the reality that whoever is speaker will be subjected to Trump&rsquo;s wishes.<\/p>\n<p>This is not a new move for Trump, who has left his fingerprints all over the GOP since he won the 2016 presidential election. His insistence that he lost the 2020 presidential race to Joe Biden seeped into the SAVE Act, which would prohibit noncitizens from voting in federal elections, as well as the rhetoric of several House Republicans as they fight to keep their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-backs-off-15-minimum-wage-as-virus-relief-plan-takes-shape\/\" title=\"Biden Backs Off  Minimum Wage As Virus Relief Plan Takes Shape\">razor-thin majority<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If House Republicans keep the majority, they are projected to still have narrow margins, and despite having Trump in the White House, the GOP will have to determine how to navigate policy decisions &mdash; especially as the former president is known for posting his thoughts and stances publicly.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The president is the leader of the party, and being the leader of the party, he sets the tone and the ground rules of how House Republicans are really going to proceed,&rdquo; Ron Bonjean, a Republican political strategist and former House and Senate GOP spokesman, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Bonjean said typically, the president and the congressional leaders will discuss decisions &ldquo;in concert,&rdquo; but Trump likes to &ldquo;tell everyone how he sees it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He sees himself as the CEO making those decisions and that House Republicans will have to fall in line and follow suit, or else primary voters, Republican primary voters, are not going to be pleased,&rdquo; Bonjean added. &ldquo;If Trump is elected as president once again, the speaker will be doing a lot of the work that the President wants done, implemented as part of his agenda.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Another problem for Republicans, as shown last week, was that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mccarthy-fights-to-shore-up-republican-support-ahead-of-speakership-vote\/\" title=\"McCarthy Fights to Shore Up Republican Support Ahead of Speakership Vote\">hard-line conservatives<\/a> who never vote for a CR will make it difficult for Johnson to pass measures along party lines. Even with Trump in the White House, the speaker will, at times, likely need Democrats to push bills across the finish line.<\/p>\n<p>Erin Covey, House analyst for the <em>Cook Political Report,<\/em> said if Republicans win all of the toss-up seats, they could have a 14-seat majority &mdash; but that&rsquo;s still not a huge majority to defend &ldquo;how much damage&rdquo; the party&rsquo;s right flank can enact.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Either way, you know, it&rsquo;s not going to be a big enough majority for whoever the hypothetical speaker is to govern comfortably,&rdquo; Covey said in an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re going to have to keep their coalition together.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Bonjean said Republican congressional leadership is going to have to find ways to &ldquo;work with and around the president&rdquo; in order to protect members and the majority from &ldquo;potential legislative threats that could hurt their chances at reelection.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In April, Trump got involved in infighting between Republicans on the Judiciary and Intelligence committees when the House needed to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-stretches-influence-over-gop-as-johnson-seeks-to-retain-speakership\/\" title=\"Trump expands control within the GOP as Johnson aims to keep speakership\">key surveillance tool essential<\/a> to national security. The House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/2964090\/house-passes-fisa-renewal-capping-months-of-gop-infighting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>passed the legislation<\/a>, but not without opposition from the former president, who created a more complicated situation for Johnson as some of his allies began to reconsider their position on reauthorization.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s support of Johnson in the spring also helped save the speaker from an ousting attempt over the last spending deal the House passed in February. Whether Trump would save Johnson remains to be seen, as the former president&rsquo;s track record with speakers has been precarious at best.<\/p>\n<p>Former Republican Speaker Paul Ryan, who served as leader from 2015 to 2019, had to bear the brunt of Trump&rsquo;s first term. Ryan cooperated with Trump for two years to pass legislation, including the 2017 tax cut, but they famously did not like each other.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I felt a major onset of responsibility to help the institutions survive,&rdquo; Ryan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/magazine\/story\/2019\/07\/16\/donald-trump-paul-ryan-feud-227360\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> <em>Politico<\/em> in 2019. &ldquo;So, from the next day on, my mantra was: &lsquo;Only one person can be speaker of the House. I&rsquo;m not a pundit, I&rsquo;m not a think-tanker. Our job from now on is to build up the country&rsquo;s antibodies &hellip; to have the guardrails up, to drive the car down the middle of the road, and don&rsquo;t let the car go off into the ditch.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We had more arguments with each other than pleasant conversations, over the last two years,&rdquo; the former speaker added. &ldquo;And it never leaked.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Ryan has since been an outspoken critic of the former president and said he won&rsquo;t vote for Trump in November. Whether this will be replicated in the relationship between Trump and Johnson, who intends to keep the speaker&rsquo;s gavel next Congres, remains to be seen.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Presidents tend to have more leverage to get their way with House majorities than candidates for President and I would expect Trump to use that leverage to his maximum ability,&rdquo; John Feehery, Republican strategist, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>However, Feehery said Trump &ldquo;tends to be more pragmatic&rdquo; when he is in charge, arguing that he may temper the abrasiveness shown in his Truth Social posts as a presidential candidate.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I doubt very seriously that the speaker and the president will be on opposite sides of anything publicly should Republicans keep the House and Trump wins,&rdquo; Feehery added. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not how Congress works.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>For Republican members, Covey said their biggest concern will be their ability to win a primary.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><strong><\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;And so a lot of times, that looks like appeasing Trump to make sure that he doesn&rsquo;t come out against you personally, or to make sure he doesn&rsquo;t back someone else to challenge you in the primaries,&rdquo; Covey said. &ldquo;Trump has a huge amount of power still over these Republican members&rsquo; careers.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s safe to say that Trump will maintain his hold, kind of, on the Republican Party,&rdquo; Covey added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1748571\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1748571\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump asserts his influence in Congress, hinting at future power struggles in a potential second term. Last week, the former president urged House Republicans to consider a government shutdown over a spending agreement, offering GOP members a preview of what to expect if he returns to the White House. His involvement complicated matters for Republican leaders who were attempting to rally support for a continuing resolution that included the voter integrity SAVE Act and would extend funding until March of next year. Trump, currently campaigning against Vice President Kamala Harris for another presidential term, stated on Truth Social that the GOP should not approve government funding without &#8220;assurances on Election Security.&#8221; This stance, echoed by his running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), further hindered Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who had to withdraw the spending bill before it could be voted on\u2014highlighting how any future speaker will likely have to align with Trump&#8217;s demands.<\/p>\n<p>This is consistent with Trump&#8217;s history of influencing the GOP since his 2016 election victory. His claims about losing the 2020 election have permeated discussions around legislation like the SAVE Act, which aims to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections and has influenced several House Republicans as they strive to maintain their slim majority.<\/p>\n<p>If House Republicans retain control, they are expected to have narrow margins and will face challenges navigating policy decisions even with Trump back in office\u2014especially given his tendency to publicly express his views and positions. Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist and former spokesperson for both chambers of Congress, noted that while typically presidents collaborate with congressional leaders on decisions &#8220;in concert,&#8221; Trump prefers directly communicating how he believes things should be done.<\/p>\n<p>Bonjean added that if Trump regains presidency, it would require speakers like Johnson to implement much of Trump&#8217;s agenda while also managing hardline conservatives within their ranks who oppose certain measures like continuing resolutions (CRs). This dynamic may necessitate bipartisan cooperation at times.<\/p>\n<p>Erin Covey from Cook Political Report indicated that even if Republicans secure all competitive seats leading up to an estimated 14-seat majority\u2014which is still precarious\u2014the party&#8217;s right wing could pose significant challenges during governance.<\/p>\n<p>Bonjean emphasized that Republican leadership must find ways &#8220;to work with and around&#8221; Trump while safeguarding their members&#8217; reelection prospects against potential legislative threats stemming from intra-party conflicts or primary challenges fueled by Trump&#8217;s influence.<\/p>\n<p>In April, Trump intervened during disputes among Republicans regarding key national security legislation related to surveillance tools but ultimately supported Johnson when necessary; however, whether this support continues remains uncertain given Trump&#8217;s unpredictable history with previous speakers like Paul Ryan.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan faced considerable difficulties during Trump&#8217;s first term despite passing significant legislation together; he later became critical of Trump\u2019s approach and indicated he wouldn&#8217;t support him again in November elections\u2014a situation similar dynamics might arise between Johnson and Trump moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>John Feehery noted that presidents generally wield more power over congressional majorities than presidential candidates do; thus it&#8217;s likely Trump will maximize this leverage if elected again but may adopt a more pragmatic approach compared to his campaign rhetoric. <\/p>\n<p>Ultimately Covey pointed out that many Republican members are primarily concerned about securing their positions through primaries often requiring them appease Trump&#8217;s preferences due largely because he retains substantial sway over their political futures within the party<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2341095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/071524_TRUMP_ARRIVING-12-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4402,40898,32187,3634,32076],"class_list":["post-2341094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-congress","tag-power-struggles","tag-second-term","tag-trump","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/071524_TRUMP_ARRIVING-12-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341094\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2341095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}