{"id":2605336,"date":"2026-05-21T06:44:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-revenge-tour-could-hurt-his-agenda-in-congress\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T06:46:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:46:10","slug":"trumps-revenge-tour-could-hurt-his-agenda-in-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-revenge-tour-could-hurt-his-agenda-in-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump&#8217;s revenge tour could hurt his agenda in Congress"},"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\">18<\/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%2Ftrumps-revenge-tour-could-hurt-his-agenda-in-congress%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=2605336&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>President Donald trump\u2019s pressure campaign is driving out several Republicans who resisted his authority, including Sen. Bill Cassidy\u2019s loss in Louisiana and rep. thomas Massie\u2019s defeat in Kentucky. Additional intraparty contests could further weaken GOP leadership\u2019s ability to move legislation ahead of the 2026 midterms,especially as the party\u2019s majorities in both chambers are slim.<\/p>\n<p>The article highlights how,after losing elections or preparing to leave office,some Republicans face fewer incentives to align with Trump,leading to votes that constrain his priorities-such as support from Cassidy and other GOP senators for limiting Trump\u2019s war powers regarding Iran. white House and House leadership downplay the impact, arguing Congress is still responsible for delivering Trump\u2019s agenda, while House Speaker mike Johnson stresses loyalty to party principles rather than personal demands.<\/p>\n<p>In the House, tensions are also rising: Massie signals he may obstruct Trump, and centrist Rep.brian fitzpatrick pushes back on White House criticism while seeking legislative responses that would curb parts of the administration\u2019s actions. Even so, some rank-and-file Republicans urge colleagues to stay aligned with Trump, though critics describe the tactics as bullying and potentially unhealthy for an independent legislative process.  <\/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<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> has increasingly succeeded in pushing out Republican members of Congress who have rejected his authority over the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gop\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1577\">GOP<\/a>. But the victories risk complicating his remaining legislative agenda ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4571020\/cassidy-loses-reelection-campaign\/\">lost his reelection bid<\/a> last week to a Trump-backed challenger in Louisiana. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was defeated in a GOP primary by Trump-backed <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4575268\/kentucky-4th-congressional-district-primary-thomas-massie-ed-gallrein\/\">Ed Gallrein<\/a> on Tuesday in Kentucky\u2019s 4th Congressional District. <\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4577218\/boebert-last-republican-epstein-files-rebellion\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Boebert emerges as last remaining Republican from Epstein files rebellion<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4577166\/democrats-vow-expel-texas-house-candidate-galindo-if-she-wins\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Moskowitz and Gottheimer vow expulsion votes if controversial Texas Democrat wins<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4577166\/democrats-vow-expel-texas-house-candidate-galindo-if-she-wins\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Moskowitz and Gottheimer vow expulsion votes if controversial Texas Democrat wins<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-cornyn\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"965\">John Cornyn<\/a> (R-TX) is likely to lose the primary runoff against Texas state Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ken-paxton\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4370\">Ken Paxton<\/a> on May 26. Trump backed Paxton on Tuesday over disagreements with Senate GOP leadership.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The losses could create headaches for Republican leaders navigating razor-thin majorities in Congress. Outgoing lawmakers no longer facing voters have less incentive to align with the White House, potentially threatening GOP efforts to show voters they can govern ahead of a difficult midterm election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, Trump brushed aside those concerns Wednesday before delivering a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey\u2019ll be all right with it. They want to win. I know how to win,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of them don\u2019t know how to win. I know how to win. I think I\u2019ve proven that, haven\u2019t I?\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But with over seven months remaining before the next Congress is sworn in, defeated or retiring Republicans still have leverage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fresh off his defeat, Cassidy joined Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) on Tuesday in voting for a Democratic-led measure restricting Trump\u2019s ability to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4575535\/senate-iran-trump-war-powers-cassidy\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4575535\/senate-iran-trump-war-powers-cassidy\/\">wage war<\/a> with Iran. Cassidy also came out against including $1 billion for Secret Service security in the GOP\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >party-line immigration bill<\/a> because of concerns over Trump\u2019s White House ballroom.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has also reportedly <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/05\/18\/tillis-senate-reconciliation-cassidy-cornyn\">raised concerns<\/a> about the funding. With Republicans holding just a 53-47 Senate majority, even a handful of defections could complicate Trump\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) tried to strike a diplomatic tone, but acknowledged that Trump\u2019s actions were complicating the future of his agenda.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cObviously, there\u2019s always a consequence associated with taking on incumbent U.S. senators,\u201d Thune told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cSo I guess the question \u2014 he obviously has his favorites and people he wants to endorse, and that\u2019s his prerogative. But what we have to deal with up here is moving the agenda, and obviously, that can become slightly more complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tensions are also emerging in the House, where Republicans also hold only a narrow majority.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4575742\/massie-trump-ballroom-concession-speech\/\">concession speech<\/a> on Tuesday, Massie appeared to hint that he would use his time left in Congress to be a thorn in Trump\u2019s side. Trump likely did not help by branding Massie a \u201clowlife\u201d on Wednesday and taking credit for his defeat. He also publicly criticized Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fitzpatrick, one of the House\u2019s more centrist Republicans, was quick to brush off the criticism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEverybody has a right to free speech,\u201d Fitzpatrick told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cI don\u2019t begrudge anyone for sharing their thoughts. It\u2019s not going to change how I do my job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, Fitzpatrick\u2019s job is increasingly coming into contention with Trump. The Pennsylvania Republican voted with Democrats last week to rein in Trump\u2019s ability to conduct war with Iran. On Wednesday, Fitzpatrick pledged to find a legislative way to \u201ckill\u201d the Justice Department\u2019s new \u201canti-weaponization\u201d compensation fund. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The White House did not directly address questions about whether Trump was endangering his agenda in Congress. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPresident Trump remains focused on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-nh-gov-chris-sununu-declines-senate-race-against-maggie-hassan\/\" title=\"... NH Gov.\u00a0Chris Sununu Declines ...ate Race Against Maggie Hassan\">delivering wins<\/a> for the American people, and working closely with Congress to do so,\u201d White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. \u201cThe American people rightfully expect Congress to continue legislating to enact President Trump\u2019s agenda, which is what they were elected to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jackson pointed to past legislation that Congress has enacted, including tax cuts, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-bidens-vindictive-and-utterly-depraved-immigration-policies-reveals-plan-to-completely-abolish-the-southern-border\/\" title=\"...: Biden\u2019s \u2018Vindictive\u2019 And \u2018Utterly Depraved\u2019 Immigration Policies Reveals Plan To \u2018Completely Abolish\u2019 The Southern Border\">immigration enforcement measures<\/a>, and efforts to crack down on fentanyl.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) similarly argued Republicans remain united behind Trump\u2019s agenda despite disagreements inside the conference.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe president has the strongest endorsement in the history of politics,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cBut we don\u2019t demand loyalty to the president. What I demand as speaker of the House is loyalty to our core principles, the principles of our party, which are the principles of America, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re standing for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who is not seeking reelection and has faced criticism from Trump, admitted the president\u2019s tactics could be grating.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t like the threatening and the bullying, and I think we should be an independent branch,\u201d Bacon said. \u201cObviously, as conservatives, we have a lot of alignment, but it\u2019s not healthy to have the bullying and the demand for loyalty.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, some rank-and-file members urged their colleagues to pay Trump the respect he deserves as party leader.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe just have to get behind the president and his agenda to follow his lead, because he is by far the leader of our party,\u201d said Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), who is not running for reelection. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t think we should have people obstruct him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4575906\/how-long-will-trump-control-gop\/\">HOW LONG WILL TRUMP CONTROL THE GOP?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tillis told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that he would \u201cleave it to the other members\u201d to decide how to respond to Trump\u2019s targeting of incumbents. Yet, as Tillis was being asked if the president risked diminishing support for his agenda, one Democrat didn\u2019t hesitate to jump in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would say yes,\u201d Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) chimed in, garnering laughter as she and Tillis got into an elevator.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump\u2019s push to oust GOP rivals may complicate his 2026 agenda<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2605337,"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\/2026\/05\/trump-revenge-tour-agenda.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[70025,6571,38755,3634,35343],"class_list":["post-2605336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-congressional-agenda","tag-elections","tag-revenge-tour","tag-trump","tag-u-s-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/trump-revenge-tour-agenda.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605336","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2605336"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2605340,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605336\/revisions\/2605340"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2605337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2605336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2605336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2605336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}