Trump suffers day of significant Republican defections on House and Senate votes

[NJCher]

A number of Republicans in Congress bucked President Trump on Thursday.
January 8, 2026 at 6:05 p.m. EST

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Significant numbers of Republicans joined with Democrats in voting against President Donald Trump’s interests on high-profile pieces of legislation Thursday, suggesting his party’s unyielding loyalty to this point in his term has started to splinter.

Earlier in the day, the Senate advanced a bipartisan measure intended to block the Trump administration from conducting further military action in Venezuela. Five Republicans joined every Democratic senator in advancing the resolution, following the White House’s capture of Venezuela’s president, without explicit permission from Congress.

The resolution is expected to get a chilly reception in the House if it passes the Senate, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) unlikely to bring it to the floor. But it gave Senate Republicans an opportunity to come out against continued military action in Venezuela — which Trump and some administration officials have refused to rule out — without congressional approval.

Trump survived House votes to overturn two of his vetoes, which requires two-thirds of the chamber, but at least two dozen Republicans voted with Democrats to defy his will, demonstrating a greater willingness than seen last year to buck their party’s president. Thirty-five Republican lawmakers voted to override Trump’s veto of the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, a bill meant to aid a decades-old Colorado water project, while 24 Republicans voted to negate Trump’s veto of the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, which codifies tribal land rights in Florida.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/08/trump-veto-override-aca-war-powers-votes

[NJCher]

1. was reading the comments, and like this one:

Let's repeat it far and wide:

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At no point during his 1st term or his current term so far, has Trump's net approval rating ever been higher than Biden's.

We should repeat this loud and often. It will drive Trump bananas.
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[LR3]

2. Not NEARLY significantly enough

A few Senators crossed lines, for a resolution that will never see a vote in the House, and if it did, and passed, would be vetoed.

Hardly a profile in courage.

While it (5 Senators crossing the aisle, somewhat) isn't nothing, it is appallingly inadequate given that we are in the Third Reich 2.0.

[NJCher]

4. what did you think?

they would all change overnight?

This will not happen all at once. It will happen gradually. This is a start. Anyone who knows anything about persuasion will tell you that.

Read up on it and you will see what I mean. Furthermore, many important and credible commentators are taking this seriously. Heather Cox Richardson is one. Take a look at her show for yesterday/today. Liberalla posted it.

[LR3]

5. What I am saying is that the Republican party is an appalling joke

Five Senators? So only 47 are Nazi bootlickers. 48 really, as Hawley made sure to slobber Trump's anus with casting his vote.

[NJCher]

6. Oh, I agree

but I don't think your response shows that you understand my point.

We're talking about what's possible here, not what should happen.

[a kennedy]

8. and I'm so sorry, but damn it, how soon IS IT GONNA HAPPEN???

Repubs turning on the orange piece of shit I mean. Gradual, sure but damn it he’s destroyed so much already. Just fuck, oh, and love that Mayor.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

3. Good

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. MaddowBlog-Trump suffers rare back-to-back defeats in Republican-led Congress

The president’s grip on GOP lawmakers is slipping in ways he isn’t used to — and clearly does not like.

Trump suffers rare back-to-back defeats in Republican-led Congress.

The president’s grip on GOP lawmakers is slipping in ways he isn’t used to — and clearly does not like.

www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— TheBlackPage (Woke, DEI forever against fascism) (@theblackpage.bsky.social) 2026-01-10T16:43:08.235Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-suffers-rare-back-to-back-defeats-in-republican-led-congress

One of the setbacks came in the GOP-led House, where a Democratic discharge petition to revive and extend Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies passed the chamber on a 230-196 vote. In all, 17 House Republicans sided with the Democratic minority — more than members of either party expected — suggesting bipartisan concern about the health care coverage benefits that Republicans let expire on Jan. 1.

The measure now heads to the Senate, where a separate set of negotiations is underway for a possible compromise.

Speaking of the upper chamber, Trump’s other, more dramatic setback happened in the Senate on Thursday afternoon. My MS NOW colleague Mychael Schnell reported:

In a rare bipartisan rebuke of President Donald Trump on Thursday, the Senate narrowly advanced a war powers resolution aimed at reining in U.S. military actions in Venezuela — an early sign that Trump may not have the congressional backing he anticipated for an extended military presence there.

In a 52-47 vote, senators agreed to begin debate on a war powers resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., that, if successful, would ‘direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.’

As the dust settled, many observers were surprised to see that five Senate Republicans had voted with the Democratic minority on the bipartisan legislation......

I think that’s the right way to see the developments. The point isn’t that the unpopular and failing president is suddenly powerless. He’s not, as evidenced by Thursday’s failed House votes on overriding his recent vetoes.

Rather, the point is that his grip is slipping in ways he isn’t accustomed to and clearly does not like. This was evident in the fall, when Republicans rejected some of Trump’s ridiculous nominees and voted to rebuke his trade agenda, and it was even more obvious this week.

As this year’s midterm elections approach and GOP members look for ways to salvage their careers, this dynamic seems likely to get worse for the White House before it gets better.