Members of the most conservative bloc of House Republicans are already annoyed by President-elect Donald Trump’s team’s apparently aggressive and heavy-handed approach to GOP legislators, according to a report.
Punchbowl reported Tuesday that some members of the House Freedom Caucus were miffed after James Braid, Trump’s incoming lead congressional liaison, phoned into a Dec. 19 meeting to pressure its members to vote for suspending the debt ceiling.
That warranted private complaints among the group of right-wing populists, many of whom share a libertarian fiscal streak, even if Braid was simply relaying Trump’s ironclad position.
Later that day, 38 Republicans—many from the Freedom Caucus—launched a successful MAGA rebellion against a Trump-endorsed plan to fund the government for three months and suspend the debt ceiling for two years.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was forced to scramble and pass a stopgap package to keep the government funded, with Trump’s desired debt limit extension left out in the cold.
The Freedom Caucus’ gripes highlight the precarious position Johnson and Trump are in, given congressional Republicans are operating with the slimmest House majority in nearly a century as they try and ram through the president-elect’s MAGA agenda.
One or two defections could hamper the GOP’s ability to get things done in the House, a reality that was on stark display last week when Trump had to phone up Freedom Caucus Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Keith Self (R-TX) to plead with them to vote for Johnson’s reelection as speaker.
Some members of the Freedom Caucus, Punchbowl reported, have already grown skeptical about Team Trump’s willingness to follow through on a pledge—proffered by MAGA billionaire and soon-to-be Department of Government Efficiency co-leader Elon Musk—to find $2.5 trillion worth of spending cuts.
GOP lawmakers, the outlet reported, were told at a retreat last weekend not to expect all their preferred policy outcomes to be fulfilled.
The irascible Trump, meanwhile, has shown a willingness to publicly lash out at the Freedom Caucus.
Last month, he trashed Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), as “very unpopular” and an “obstructionist” who is only interested in “some cheap publicity for himself” after losing the battle over the debt ceiling.
Punchbowl reported that Trump and Roy did patch up some of their differences on a phone call last week, during which Trump insisted he vote for Johnson’s speakership. Roy obliged.
As Trump and Johnson embark on their plan to pass a “big, beautiful bill” that implements the president-elect’s MAGA agenda on taxes, energy, immigration and more, they will likely be called upon to play nice with the diehards in their coalition.
