I am writing this while the U.S./Iran negotiations are in a state of flux, but make no mistake, the Trump train ran into a wall last week. His $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” slush fund sparked outrage among Senate Republicans. So much so, that Trump’s all-important immigration funding reconciliation bill had to be pulled from the Senate calendar. Meantime Speaker Mike Johnson recessed the House because he lacked the votes to stop a war powers resolution on the Iran War.
Although Trump
tactically succeeded in defeating Louisiana Senate incumbent Bill Cassidy, he strategically
failed by making an enemy of him for the remainder of his term. He along with
North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis will remain thorns in his side for the rest
of the year. Those two along with Senators Susan Colllins and Lisa Murkowski
means that Trump no longer has a working majority on a host of issues that will
soon come before the Senate. Further exacerbating the situation is that Trump
connived with his own Treasury Department to cease all tax audits on his and
his family’s tax returns. The stench grows by the minute.
Adding impetus to the
revolt was Trump’s endorsement of the ethically challenged Ken Paxton in the
Texas primary over incumbent John Cornyn. Cornyn is one of the most well-liked
senators in the Republican caucus. Should Cornyn go down this week, he too will
likely join Tillis and Cassidy as a thorn in Trump’s side. Even if Cornyn surprises
and wins, Trump will not be able to count on him as a supporter.
One last thing should
the Iran deal go the way many are now speculating, Trump risks the support of
Senators Cruz, Graham, and Wicker, among others. Any deal that looks like what
the Obama appeasers Wendy Sherman, Bob Malley and Ben Rhodes would have produced
will ignite a firestorm in the Republican caucus. Stay tuned.
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