Trump friction with GOP senators may imperil his agenda, say senators [View all]

Source: The Hill

05/26/26 6:00 AM ET


Senate Republican sources say that President Trump’s agenda for the rest of the year is in serious trouble, including a budget reconciliation package to fund immigration enforcement operations through 2029, after tempers erupted at a meeting between GOP senators and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last week.

GOP senators say that Trump has no chance of getting taxpayer money to fund construction of the White House ballroom and are warning that he will probably have to abandon or significantly reform his proposal to establish a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund if the stalled budget reconciliation package has any chance of passing before the midterm election. Senate sources say there’s a group of four GOP senators whom Trump has alienated — Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.), Bill Cassidy (La.), John Cornyn (Texas), and Rand Paul (Ky.) — who could make it tougher to get things passed through the Senate the rest of this year.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said it became clear after last week’s fiery meeting with Blanche that the administration could have a tough time moving its agenda through Congress for the rest of this year because of Trump’s strained relationships with Tillis, Cassidy, Cornyn and Paul. “We have a 53-47 majority, if you lose four senators, you’re below 50 and you can’t get anything done,” he said on his podcast, “Verdict with Ted Cruz.” “That is going to be a complicating factor for the rest of the year,” he warned.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5893000-gop-senate-trump-strained-relations/