Inside Trump's Senate playbook
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President Trump speaks to members of the media at the U.S. Capitol on June 24. Photo: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump has three go-to moves for GOP senators who frustrate him: persuade them when he can, ignore them when he must and bully them at will.
Why it matters: The approach doesn't always produce results. But it almost always provides drama.
Persuade: Trump dispatched two top deputies to the Senate GOP lunch on Wednesday to make the case, in person, for a third reconciliation bill with elements of the SAVE Act.
- Then he sent in the big guns. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles huddled with the Senate GOP leaders shortly after their lunch.
- When Trump faced a Senate rebuke over the Iran conflict last month, the White House aggressively lobbied wavering Republicans to flip their votes.
Ignore: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche doesn't need Senate confirmation to do the job, Trump declared on Truth Social on Thursday.
- He can serve as acting attorney general indefinitely. Problem solved.
Bully: Trump began the week by demanding that Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) scrap the filibuster and pass the SAVE Act.
- "Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!" Trump wrote.
What we're watching: Bullying appeared to be Trump's preferred tactic this week. By Wednesday, he was openly questioning whether Thune should remain majority leader.
- Thune's best defense was to downplay his own powers.
- "He thinks I can wave the magic wand," Thune told Politico. "I wish it were that easy."
- Trump's penchant for bullying has emboldened some senators to stand their ground — such as John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who have blocked Blanche's nomination. Both will be out of the Senate in January.
Zoom in: Trump's anger with the Senate keeps flaring, despite Thune's success in rapidly confirming his nominees.
- With Jay Clayton's confirmation as director of national intelligence, the GOP-led Senate has confirmed 515 of Trump's nominees — with another batch of 74 on the way.
- That's a faster pace than the first administration and leaves only a handful of civilian nominations remaining on the Executive Calendar.
- Trump now has the authority to install many of the remaining nominees in acting roles across the federal government.
Zoom out: With one week left before the August recess, Senate Republican vibes are going from bad to worse.
- New polls show Americans continuing to sour on the GOP.
- The MAGA base is still enraged over the SAVE Act.
- Everything from the NDAA to crypto legislation is hitting roadblocks.
And Trump doesn't appear interested in easing the pressure on his own party.
The bottom line: Trump reserves the right to toggle among his three approaches, depending on his needs and mood.
- And while he can ignore the Senate on some personnel, he can't ignore it on legislation. He still needs 50 votes — or, in some cases, 60.
- "When crazy becomes the norm, it feels pretty routine," one GOP senator told Axios.
