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MaddowBlog-Ahead of the midterm elections, Trump's grip on Congress is starting to slip
The fact that so many Republicans were willing to criticize the Jerome Powell probe was emblematic of a larger pattern — and a serious problem for the president.
Ahead of the midterm elections, Trump’s grip on Congress is starting to slip #resist www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
— jbuchana, NOW is the time to Resist! (@jbuchana.bsky.social) 2026-01-13T20:14:52.184Z
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/ahead-of-the-midterm-elections-trumps-grip-on-congress-is-starting-to-slip
Former Treasury secretaries, prominent economists and former chairs of the White House Council of Economic Advisers joined the pile-on, as did some conservative media voices, with the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal describing the developments as “a self-defeating fiasco.”
On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, congressional Democrats wasted no time in condemning the developments, but as MS NOW reported, the reaction was not entirely a partisan affair:
Plenty of the usual GOP suspects toed the party line or avoided questions in the hopes of steering clear of White House apoplexy, but several Republicans in both chambers made clear — with public, on-the-record responses — that they believed the administration was crossing a red line with this latest prosecutorial abuse.
Time will tell whether Team Trump cares about the scope and breadth of the pushback, and it remains entirely possible that the ridiculous case against Powell will proceed anyway.....
What’s more, all of this comes on the heels of related developments from late last year, when Republicans rejected some of Trump’s ridiculous nominees and voted to rebuke his trade agenda.
A New York Times analysis noted: “Together, the events illustrated that the president, who for a year has been able to count on a largely compliant Republican-led Congress with no appetite to challenge him, is facing new defiance as lawmakers concerned about their political futures look to assert themselves ahead of midterm voting.”
An adept president with extensive leadership experience might be able to navigate these waters and take steps to keep his GOP allies aligned with the White House. Trump, however, appears to have no idea how to do this — he is, after all, the least experienced president in American history — which suggests his troubles will only get worse as the midterm elections draw closer.
On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, congressional Democrats wasted no time in condemning the developments, but as MS NOW reported, the reaction was not entirely a partisan affair:
For Republican lawmakers who usually move in lockstep with President Donald Trump, the Justice Department’s investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is quickly becoming an unexpected loyalty test, with many of them expressing discomfort with the move and some vowing to make it difficult to replace Powell.
Plenty of the usual GOP suspects toed the party line or avoided questions in the hopes of steering clear of White House apoplexy, but several Republicans in both chambers made clear — with public, on-the-record responses — that they believed the administration was crossing a red line with this latest prosecutorial abuse.
Time will tell whether Team Trump cares about the scope and breadth of the pushback, and it remains entirely possible that the ridiculous case against Powell will proceed anyway.....
What’s more, all of this comes on the heels of related developments from late last year, when Republicans rejected some of Trump’s ridiculous nominees and voted to rebuke his trade agenda.
A New York Times analysis noted: “Together, the events illustrated that the president, who for a year has been able to count on a largely compliant Republican-led Congress with no appetite to challenge him, is facing new defiance as lawmakers concerned about their political futures look to assert themselves ahead of midterm voting.”
An adept president with extensive leadership experience might be able to navigate these waters and take steps to keep his GOP allies aligned with the White House. Trump, however, appears to have no idea how to do this — he is, after all, the least experienced president in American history — which suggests his troubles will only get worse as the midterm elections draw closer.
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