Sarah Arnold writes at Townhall.com about the Republican response to a second Trump administration.
Republican Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) is raising concerns that certain establishment GOP lawmakers may quietly undermine President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda despite publicly claiming to support it. As Trump gears up for another four years in the White House, Roy fears some of his colleagues, particularly those with strong ties to the D.C. establishment, will work behind the scenes to thwart his policies or derail his efforts. The Texas representative’s warnings reflect a broader anxiety within the GOP about the deepening divide between the incoming Trump Administration and those deep inside the swamp. In addition to Roy, others also fear these Republicans may prioritize their political futures.
During a discussion with Todd Starnes, Roy accused some congressional Republicans of secretly undermining Trump’s agenda and stonewalling his cabinet picks.
“I think that Republicans in Congress are going to give lip service to backing the President’s agenda, and behind the scenes, they’re going to be stonewalling it. Unless some of us can kick them right in the rear end and make them deliver,” Roy said.
He said his Washington colleagues have already made excuses for why Trump cannot follow through on his campaign promises, such as enacting the largest deportation of illegal immigrants the U.S. has seen.
“Truth is, you’re already hearing excuses,” Roy continued. “Well, we don’t have 60 votes in the Senate. You’re already hearing some of my colleagues say, ‘Well, we can’t do, you know, broad mass deportations,’ which, by the way, I think effectively just call it what it is, repatriation.”
This comes when Republicans have openly expressed their opposition to Trump’s cabinet picks.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) recently said she has “questions” about Trump’s defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth. She is “concerned about the allegations against him and his treatment of women.” Despite admitting she had never met with Hegseth, sat down with him, or heard him speak at length, she said this.
