Who has the bigger mandate: Trump or Senate Republicans?
If both have a mandate, then there are checks on Trump's power.
Trump wants a free hand.
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Donald Trump nominated Matt Gaetz to be attorney general and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Each is flagrantly unqualified. Everyone knows that, most certainly U.S. senators. Trump is forcing a showdown. It is a test of loyalty and courage. Does Trump have sole power or share power? |
A showdown now is a smart strategic move by Trump. He is at the absolute peak of his power. He has a fresh mandate. The positions of both the Senate and House aspirants for leadership are new and weak. Neither can hold onto those positions if they face direct adamant opposition by Trump.
Trump does not succeed by being broadly acceptable. The opposition and fury of Democrats is a feature that helps Trump. It assures his friends that Trump is on their side. What Trump does supremely well is squelch rivals within the half of America inclined to vote for Republicans. He humiliates rivals. He rolls over them. He claims that he --not them--represents the will of the people. Trump can mobilize Republican voters in a way no other Republican can.
Gaetz and RFK Jr. were chosen to carry out the showdown. If Trump's nominees were reasonable, well-respected, credible appointees, then it would mean nothing that the Senate consented to them. The GOP Senate's subservience would be untested. To demonstrate subservience, senators must be seen willingly giving up power in favor of Trump by letting poor choices -- Trump's choices -- take office, despite their own judgment.
Voters wanted a decisive, cruel president who would force others to buckle under to his will. They elected one. Later we will see if Ukraine, Russia, China, and Mexico buckle to Trump. He said they would. But for now we are seeing if Senate Republicans do.
A recess appointment gives senators a mechanism that lets Republicans give up their power to advise and consent. Trump extracted promises to allow recess appointments from the three aspirants for the job of Senate majority leader. John Thune -- theoretically one of the establishment-oriented senators who respect the traditions and powers of the Senate -- won the job. He is now talking with his colleagues, testing the waters, with the difficult job of somehow making any capitulation to Trump look bipartisan.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is on board with Trump. Like Thune's, his hold onto power is fragile. He, too, needs Trump. He has just announced that he wants to keep secret any embarrassing and disqualifying information about Gaetz.
If Trump loses this one, his cloak of invincibility will have a rip in a seam. And one torn seam leads to more of them.
10 comments:
Rep. Troy Nels (R – TX) spelled out the position of House Republicans: “If Donald Trump says jump three feet high and scratch your head, we all jump three feet high and scratch our heads and that’s it.” The only question is whether Republicans are capable of following two-step commands. That’s a pretty high bar for people who think immigrants are eating our pets.
I wonder if this is something the Democrats could filibuster?
Theoretically Trump only has 4 years and Senators have 6. So for many, their political futures will outlive Trump. As long as they vote on policies and laws, I wonder if absolute acquiescence to Trump is a fait accompli? It would be interesting to track which GOP Senator’s are at risk if they don’t follow Trump all the time.
If I was a Democrat and a Senator, I would filibuster every bill Trump tries to pass. Kill everything he does. Whatever it takes. Get nasty.
One third of senators have 2 years
You speak of rivals to Trump. We should speak of rivals to J.D. Vance, too. He is the heir apparent, and this nonsense (RFK, Jr., etc.) consolidates his power. Niki Haley, Mike Pompeo, and other team-of-rivals types are left in the dust. Things will move fast.
I'm really skeptical of claims that Iran wants to kill Putin's orange patsy.
We know Iran does what Russia wants.
Doesn’t seem like any republicans ever show backbone to Trump beyond Lisa Murkowski from Alaska. Maybe Steve Bannon should be put in charge of something too. Don’t underestimate how bad it can get. The military may become the enemy of democracy next.
Who ever thought that someday the President of the United would be a threat to Democracy?
Thats one of the paradoxes of democracy Peter C. “We the People” can choose to end it by voting in a megalomaniacal shyster who has open contempt for the institution he is sworn to uphold, defend and protect. We now have a democratically-elected a leader whose aim is to never need to face another fair election. Or any at all.
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