Is Donald Trump now the GOP’s largest impediment to protecting the Senate? | EUROtoday

Donald Trump could now be his celebration’s largest impediment to holding management of the Senate because the Republican president repeatedly undermines members of the caucus whereas his international coverage has rankled members and inspired divisions.

Republicans maintain a 53-47 majority within the higher chamber of Congress following the 2024 election collapse of the Democratic Party. For a lot of 2025, it regarded seemingly that it will take a number of election cycles for Democrats to regain the bulk, if not longer.

But with January midway over, the prospects of Republicans holding on to that majority even via November look loads dimmer. The cause why, although nearly not one of the celebration’s members within the chamber will say it out loud: Donald Trump.

Democrats must win 4 seats to take again the chamber. Trump’s interference in a number of of these key races can’t be ignored, and in each case has made it tougher, not simpler, for Republican incumbents to carry on to their seats. Politico reported final week that Trump was flatly refusing to again three Senate Republicans, John Cornyn of Texas, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Susan Collins of Maine, of their respective races this yr.

His newest insertion into the fray over the weekend took issues a step additional. On Saturday, the president posted on Truth Social that he would again the candidacy of Julia Letlow, a Louisiana state consultant, have been she to mount a GOP main problem towards Cassidy. The senator has been hard-pressed working to fend off main challengers for months now — Saturday’s submit from Trump will seemingly supercharge the dynamic towards him. Politico studies that Letlow is now making ready a bid for the seat.

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For Cassidy, issues are nonetheless tenable. He retains a large marketing campaign struggle chest and has raised $17 million thus far within the 2025-2026 cycle, Politico reported earlier this month. He additionally holds a seat in a deep purple state, permitting him to largely write off victory in November if he survives the first.

But for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, issues aren’t so nice. Thune is actively working to guard Cassidy and can now seemingly be pressured to proceed headlining fundraisers and spending assets to guard the senator, as he’s been doing for months.

For the Senate GOP chief, the motivation is twofold: Protect the seat, and defend a dependable ally of management.

This dangers a blow-up with Trump but in addition simply as importantly saps his time and assets as his focus may very well be spent on different races, akin to North Carolina, the place Gov. Roy Cooper appears to be like to be dominant within the race towards Michael Whatley, former chair of the Republican National Committee.

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Trump’s transfer to endorse Letlow raises one other query: Will he endorse Texas’ Ken Paxton? The MAGA loyalist and scandal-prone state Attorney General of Texas is working towards Cornyn within the Senate main, and is considered by Democrats like Rep. Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico as their finest shot to take the seat in an upset in November, ought to the senator lose his main.

Like Cassidy, Thune is working the fundraisers and touring to Texas to assist defend a seat that would have been a slam dunk retention for the GOP this yr.

In Maine, the story is barely totally different. Susan Collins is not any ally of Trump, and affiliation with the president doesn’t assist her. But the Trump administration nonetheless isn’t serving to issues for the sake of protecting Thune pleased: Local information studies point out that state residents are bracing for an onslaught of ICE brokers, frightening protests in cities akin to Portland and inflicting Collins to grouse to a HuffPost reporter: “To me, I don’t see the rationale for a large number of ICE agents to come in.”

A surge of ICE exercise in Maine may each drive up damaging sentiment amongst Democrats and independents. Collins, who nurtures a popularity as an unbiased, attracts votes from each camps. Anger over enforcement actions may additionally increase the profile of Gov. Janet Mills, who’s working within the Democratic main and could also be Collins’s opponent within the fall. Graham Platner, Mills’s opponent, can be campaigning on information studies of the anticipated surge.

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In Washington, Republicans within the Senate have little when it comes to latest progress to point out voters. Talks over extending subsidies for Obamacare well being plans appear to have collapsed underneath continued White House opposition, and the president’s provocations with Greenland have left Republicans uneasy after a War Powers vote on Venezuela brought on one of many starkest divisions within the caucus thus far.

Even as House Republicans brazenly complain about Speaker Mike Johnson and the chamber’s subservience to the White House, it could be Thune who has the toughest job in D.C. proper now.

For the Senate chief, it’s as much as him to guard a majority that his most vital ally, drowning in unpopularity and refusing to chop his allies a break, seemingly has little interest in serving to defend.