Republican Congressional Abdication
Republican lawmakers have repeatedly declined to exercise congressional oversight over the Trump administration — confirming controversial nominees without scrutiny, blocking war powers resolutions, remaining silent on constitutional violations, and allowing executive overreach to go unchecked. Members who broke ranks were removed via Trump-backed primary challenges, entrenching a culture of compliance over constitutional responsibility.
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Pete Hegseth was confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of Defense despite allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
Vice President JD Vance defended Trump's decision to pardon January 6 Capitol rioters, while Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called the pardons of violent offenders a 'mistake' that could spur more violence.
Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as Director of National Intelligence despite concerns over her pro-Russia stance. Senator Mitch McConnell was the sole Republican to vote against Trump's pick.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, was sworn in as health secretary after Senate confirmation. Kennedy gained backing of key Republican senators despite controversy over his views on vaccines.
The Senate confirmed former Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general. Blanche previously represented Trump in legal proceedings.
Trump called for the impeachment of a federal judge and again assailed a federal judge at the center of a deportation flight controversy. Senator Lisa Murkowski said fellow Republicans were afraid of Trump and Elon Musk.
House Speaker Mike Johnson floated the possibility of Congress eliminating federal courts, citing Republican frustration over judicial blocks to Trump administration policies.
Trump stated in an NBC News interview that he is 'not joking' about seeking a third presidential term and suggested there were 'methods' to achieve this, despite the 22nd Amendment constitutionally prohibiting a president from being elected to more than two terms.
Trump stated he is considering ways to serve a third term as president and said he is "not joking" about pursuing this despite constitutional limits. Constitutional scholars and Republican leaders have dismissed the claim, with bipartisan criticism noting that the 22nd Amendment bars any president from serving more than two terms.
Trump sparked debate by discussing the possibility of a third presidential term, suggesting he could potentially run again despite the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms. Republican leaders in Congress downplayed the remarks, with Senator Lindsey Graham stating to 'ask me in 27,' while some Democrats expressed alarm and others dismissed the comments.
President Trump indicated he is considering a permanent third term as president, stating 'I'm not joking' when asked about extending his time in office, contradicting his previous claims that such remarks were merely joking.
Trump stated that Ukrainian President Zelensky shares blame for war deaths in Ukraine. This comment came amid criticism from Republican lawmakers over Russia's attack on Sumy that killed at least 35 civilians.
Prominent Republicans, including former Trump administration officials, issued an open letter criticizing President Trump for using his power to punish two former officials who had publicly criticized him. Critics compared his actions to those of a 'royal despot.'
A Republican tax bill proposed labeling non-profits opposed to Trump's policies as 'terrorism' organizations, raising concerns that the Trump administration could wield the law against groups that file lawsuits or organize voters against his policies.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Charles Kushner, the father of Jared Kushner, as ambassador to France. Kushner had previously been pardoned by Trump for a tax evasion conviction.
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers, including Republican Thomas Massie and Democrats, introduced a resolution to block US involvement in Iran and require Congressional approval before Trump could authorize attacks on Iran.
Five-term Republican congressman Don Bacon from Nebraska, a frequent Trump critic representing a swing district, announced he will not seek re-election, opening a competitive seat that Democrats are targeting.
Senator Thom Tillis announced he would not seek re-election after President Trump insulted him and threatened to back a primary challenger over Tillis's opposition to the president's domestic spending bill.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced he will not seek re-election after opposing Trump's proposed budget bill that includes significant Medicaid cuts. Trump had insulted Tillis and threatened to back his primary challenger.
The U.S. Senate passed a bill approving Trump's request to claw back $9 billion in congressionally approved spending for foreign aid and public broadcasting, with a 51-48 vote. The vote demonstrated the president's influence over spending rescissions despite some Republican concerns about congressional power of the purse.
Representative Thomas Massie criticized Speaker Mike Johnson for citing recess as a reason not to hold an immediate floor vote on releasing the Epstein files, arguing that transparency should not be 'politically painful.'
Ex-Trump lawyer Emil Bove was confirmed to a federal appeals court by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 50-49, despite claims that he had advocated for ignoring court orders.
Emil Bove, a Trump loyalist, was confirmed to a lifetime federal judgeship by Republicans with minimal questioning, continuing a pattern of rewarding Trump allies with judicial appointments.
The Senate confirmed Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host, as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Pirro has promoted claims that Trump lost the 2020 election due to electoral fraud.
California Governor Gavin Newsom warned that Trump is 'serious' about pursuing a third term and urged Americans to 'wake up' to threats posed by the president's disregard for democratic norms.
House Republicans approved a new subcommittee to investigate the January 6 Capitol attack. Democrats criticized the creation as an attempt to rewrite the narrative and shift blame away from former President Trump.
Republican Senator Rand Paul condemned Vice President JD Vance's defense of a U.S. airstrike on a Venezuelan boat allegedly containing drug traffickers, calling Vance's comments "despicable" and "thoughtless."
Senate Republicans extended a procedural maneuver that effectively strips Congress of power to disapprove of Trump's tariffs, ceding substantial trade authority to the president. The move prevents Congress from having a meaningful role in tariff decisions.
Steve Bannon claimed there is a plan for Trump to run for a third term, following months of the president discussing potentially defying the constitutional two-term limit.
Trump expressed that he would 'love' an unconstitutional third term but ruled out running for vice president, despite the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two elected terms.
Republican Senator Rand Paul called Trump's military airstrikes 'extrajudicial killings,' with his comments coming days after the president claimed US lawmakers would not object to Venezuelan strikes.
Speaker Mike Johnson stated he does not see a path for a constitutional amendment allowing a third Trump term, but said the trolling of Democrats about extending the president's time in office was entertaining. Trump has floated the idea more than once without definitively ruling it out.
Senate Democrats failed to block military action against Venezuela, with a resolution failing 49-51 as the Trump administration increases military buildup in the region. Only two Republican senators voted in favor of the measure to check presidential power.
US Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat and veteran targeted by Trump over military comments, criticized Republicans for their silence on Trump's violent threats toward Democrats and stated he would not be intimidated.
The White House stated that the U.S. would be 'lucky' if Trump remained in office for a third term, following reports that Trump discussed the idea with constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz.
The Trump administration froze a visa program for Afghan allies after a fatal shooting, with Republicans in Congress remaining silent on the policy reversal despite previously championing the visa initiative.
Trump urged Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster rule, which allows the minority party to block legislation. Republicans have expressed reluctance to scrap the rule, concerned they could lose their majority in future sessions.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie criticized Trump for attacking him over his commitment to the Epstein files act, which aims to help victims, while using the criticism to raise campaign funds.
Congress faces questions about whether it can reassert its power in the face of Trump's expansion of executive authority, with lawmakers heading into the president's second year examining post-Watergate laws designed to hold the presidency accountable.
Republicans celebrated the capture of Maduro, while Democrats condemned the operation as unjustified and warned it risks pulling the US into another war. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called Trump to criticize the strikes as violating international law.
On the fifth anniversary of the January 6 Capitol attack, Democrats held a hearing examining its impact while Republicans remained largely silent. Trump has continued to promote conspiracy theories denying the election integrity, which could affect this year's midterms.
The Senate advanced a war powers resolution requiring Trump to seek Congressional approval before taking further military action in Venezuela. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats to allow the measure to move forward.
Trump encouraged Rep. Julia Letlow to challenge Sen. Bill Cassidy in a Republican primary race, marking an effort to remove a senator who voted to convict him in his second impeachment trial. Republican senators including Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski criticized Trump's Greenland ambitions as potentially damaging to the economy and NATO.
Louisiana congresswoman Julia Letlow, backed by Trump, launched a primary challenge against Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump following the 2021 Capitol attack.
Trump's Greenland acquisition rhetoric is causing concern among leading Republicans with midterm elections looming. Some members of Congress have dissented from the president's position, though this falls short of a broader rebellion within the party.
The US House voted to block Trump's tariffs on Canada imposed under a declared national emergency. While Republicans joined Democrats in the rare rebuke, the measure faces an unlikely path to override a presidential veto, as any actual policy reversal would require Trump's approval.
Trump pulled his endorsement of Representative Jeff Hurd of Colorado after Hurd opposed the administration's tariff policies, a move that may jeopardize Republican efforts to retain the seat during midterm elections.
The Trump administration is engaged in military strikes against Iran without congressional approval, prompting Senate action. A Senate resolution to prevent Trump from continuing the war with Iran was voted down along party lines, with nearly all Democrats supporting it and most Republicans opposed.
The Republican-led House rejected a Democratic-backed war powers resolution to end Trump's hostilities with Iran, with the measure failing 212-219. This followed the Senate's similar refusal to constrain the administration's military action.
Trump bypassed Congress regarding the Iran war after both the Senate and House blocked a war powers measure, allowing the president to continue military operations without congressional interference. This represents a significant assertion of executive power over foreign military engagement.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis calls Stephen Miller a 'big problem' for the Trump administration and says the White House adviser 'should go,' also calling for the resignation or firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
Democrats called for action to prevent terror attacks in the U.S. resulting from the Iran war. Senator Cory Booker criticized both parties for 'ceding war powers to Trump,' warning the president may be emboldened to attack other countries such as Cuba and North Korea.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced he will not seek re-election after Trump threatened to primary him. Tillis has recently been critical of Trump administration officials, particularly Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic resolution for the second time that would have halted Trump's Iran war until the president obtained congressional authorization as required by the War Powers Act.
Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic war powers resolution designed to check Trump's authority on Iran by a vote of 53-47. Democrats vowed to bring the measure up 'again and again and again.'
The Senate confirmed Trump loyalist Markwayne Mullin as homeland security secretary in a 54-45 vote. The Oklahoma senator replaced Kristi Noem and was sworn in as DHS leadership took over during a government shutdown.
Republican senators Mitch McConnell and Thom Tillis broke with Trump on NATO withdrawal, warning that leaving the alliance would aid rivals, threaten U.S. security, and require Senate approval under a 2024 law.
Senator Thom Tillis pledged to continue blocking a Trump-backed Federal Reserve nominee and called on the president to apologize for his attacks on the Pope. The Republican senator signaled he would maintain opposition to the administration's Fed pick.
The U.S. House narrowly rejected a war powers resolution challenging Trump's Iran military actions, though the vote showed growing bipartisan concern. The Senate had also failed to pass similar resolutions multiple times.
President Trump asserted to Congress that hostilities with Iran have 'terminated' despite continued U.S. armed forces presence in the region, appearing to attempt to bypass the 60-day War Powers Act deadline requiring congressional approval for continued military operations.
Trump-backed Republican candidates achieved significant victories in Indiana primary elections, with at least five Trump-endorsed challengers defeating incumbent state lawmakers who had resisted his redistricting demands. The results demonstrate Trump's continued influence over the Republican Party base despite lower overall approval ratings.
The Senate failed to pass a resolution curbing Trump's war on Iran with a 49-50 vote, though Republican opposition grew with senators Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, and Susan Collins voting in favor of the measure.
The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair, replacing Jerome Powell, with Warsh set to serve a four-year term amid rising inflation and Trump's pressure to lower interest rates. Top Democrat Elizabeth Warren condemned the confirmation as making Warsh a 'sock puppet' for Trump.
Trump backed Republican Julia Letlow in Louisiana's Senate primary against incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy, who drew the president's ire for voting to impeach Trump after January 6, setting up a significant test of Trump's political influence.
Senator Bill Cassidy lost his Louisiana Republican primary on May 17, with Trump intervening to oust him after Cassidy's 2021 impeachment conviction vote. Julia Letlow advanced to a GOP runoff, with Cassidy trailing significantly.
President Trump attacked Rep. Thomas Massie as a 'bum' on social media, urging voters to remove him in his primary after Massie remained a critic of Trump within the Republican party.
Former Sen. Lamar Alexander released a memoir calling Trump's January 6 actions an impeachable offense and urging Congress to reassert its power, as debate continues over the political aftermath.
Senate Republicans blocked an amendment by Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) that would have barred the Trump administration from creating the anti-weaponization compensation fund for Trump's allies.
Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate primary runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, calling Paxton an 'America First Patriot' and 'MAGA Warrior' despite warnings from some Republicans about Paxton's scandal history.
Trump urged Kentucky voters to oust Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican critic of the president, while primary elections were held in six states including Kentucky, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
The Senate voted to advance a resolution to curb Trump's war powers regarding Iran for the first time, with four Republicans joining almost all Democrats in support.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Trump critic and seven-term Kentucky incumbent, lost his Republican House primary on May 19 to retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who was backed by President Trump. The race demonstrated Trump's continued influence over GOP primary voters and his willingness to target fellow Republicans who have challenged his positions.
President Trump endorsed state Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary, drawing expressions of frustration and disappointment from Senate GOP members. The move reflected Trump's broader pattern of purging Republicans he views as insufficiently loyal.
Senate Republicans at a meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche expressed explosive anger, with Senator Ted Cruz describing 'fireworks at an epic level.' The meeting reflected broader GOP resistance to certain Trump administration priorities, particularly regarding Jan. 6 compensation.
Former Republican congressman Thomas Massie warned that Trump has 'alienated' voters ahead of midterm elections, citing 'Trump disappointment syndrome' following his primary defeat.
Trump-backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton decisively defeated incumbent four-term Senator John Cornyn in a Republican primary runoff, winning by 28 percentage points. Paxton's victory marks a significant MAGA movement success and makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose in the state's primary since the 1980s.
Trump dominates GOP primaries heading into midterm elections, but Republicans will need support from voters outside his base, many of whom are dissatisfied with the economy and the Iran war.
The House passed a war powers resolution on June 3 to rein in President Trump's military campaign in Iran, marking the first successful congressional rebuke of Trump's Iran war effort after multiple previous Democratic-led attempts failed.
The House of Representatives passed a war powers resolution with bipartisan support (215-208) to constrain Trump's authority in the Iran war, requiring congressional approval for further military operations. Four Republicans voted with Democrats on the measure.
Congress passes war powers resolution rebuking Trump's Iran war, marking the first time since 1973 that Congress has instructed a president to end military action. Four Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure seeking to limit the president's military authority.
President Trump had a heated and lengthy shouting match with Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana at a Senate GOP lunch over the Iran war and the chamber's passage of a war powers resolution. Cassidy told reporters he made it clear he would not be bullied by the president.
The Senate passed a war powers resolution rebuking Trump's military action in Iran, with four Republicans breaking party ranks to support the measure. The resolution passed one day before Trump requested the $87.6 billion Iran war funding package.
Senate Republicans rejected a war powers resolution directing President Trump to end the war against Iran during a late-night vote, reversing course after Trump berated GOP senators over their initial opposition. The vote came after Trump held a meeting at the Capitol to pressure lawmakers.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy accused President Trump of treating Congress as 'merely an appendage' in a rare rebuke from a GOP politician over Trump's conduct of the Iran war without proper congressional authorization.
The House of Representatives passed a war powers resolution for the second time calling on President Trump to seek congressional authorization for the ongoing conflict with Iran. The measure is largely symbolic as Democrats lack leverage to enforce compliance.
A Republican-controlled House committee issued a criminal referral of former special counsel Jack Smith to the Justice Department, accusing him of misconduct in his investigation of Trump. The referral is viewed as part of Trump's broader retribution campaign against his former prosecutor.
The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton, a Trump ally and former SEC chair, as director of national intelligence in a 51-47 party-line vote. Clayton had declined to clearly say Biden won the 2020 election during his confirmation hearing.
Senate Republicans are divided over Trump's demand to cancel August recess, with vulnerable GOP members warning it is 'tone-deaf' as they need to campaign in tight midterm races.
Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee lost his Republican primary to former state agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher, despite Trump's endorsement. Ogles had faced controversy for anti-Muslim remarks saying 'Muslims don't belong in American society.'
Trump called Tucker Carlson, Rep. Thomas Massie, and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene 'three losers' over their criticism of his decision to lift certain tariffs on imported ground beef. Greene and others fired back, with some expressing regret about supporting Trump.
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