Donald Trump is facing widening opposition within his own party as Republican lawmakers in Congress, long reluctant to defy him, are showing a greater willingness to break ranks with the US president.
Just over the past week, multiple factions of Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives have stepped forward to rebuke his war against Iran, reject $1 billion in funding tied to his White House ballroom, force a retreat on his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponisation” fund and block his legislation on domestic spying.
The House also defied Trump by passing a bill on Thursday to provide aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia, a measure that seems destined for a veto by the president.
Republicans and Democrats are skeptical that Trump faces an actual revolt. But a growing coalition of Republicans is showing a willingness to break with him, including those Trump has personally helped to drum out of office, and could pose a threat to his most ambitious initiatives between now and Election Day.
“I think what you’re seeing as you get closer to the election is that people are going to vote the way they think their constituents want them to,” said Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who announced his retirement from the Senate last year after opposing the president’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill.
