Why Republicans in Congress are turning towards Trump

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<img alt="" data-caption="Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) arrives for a press conference on Capitol Hill on November 18, 2025. Johnson is dealing with a fractious Republican caucus. | Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images" data-portal-copyright="Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/gettyimages-2247301648.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" /> Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson (R-LA) arrives for a press convention on Capitol Hill on November 18, 2025. Johnson is coping with a fractious Republican caucus. | Roberto Schmidt/Getty Photographs For many of this 12 months, Republican members of the Home of Representatives appeared to maneuver in lockstep with President Donald Trump, not hesitating to again him on controversial measures on immigration and the financial system.

However now they appear to be breaking ranks.

Some Republican members of Congress have stood up to Trump on the discharge of the Epstein Recordsdata, tariffs, well being care subsidies, boat strikes within the Caribbean, and different points.

They’ve voiced frustration with House Speaker Mike Johnson , who has let Trump set the agenda for Congress even because the president’s approval rating continues to say no.

Some GOP members of the Home, fed up with partisan gridlock, stalled laws, and threats of political violence, are simply calling it quits altogether. They’re both retiring or resigning to hunt different workplaces.

The GOP might probably lose its razor-thin margin even earlier than the midterms. As soon as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene formally resigns in January, Republicans will solely have a one-seat benefit.

Right this moment, Defined ’s Astead Herndon talked to Leigh Ann Caldwell, chief Washington correspondent for Puck Information, about what’s inflicting the House GOP exodus and what it might imply for the celebration in energy.

Beneath is an excerpt of their dialog, edited for size and readability. There’s far more within the full episode, so take heed to Right this moment, Defined wherever you get podcasts, together with Apple Podcasts , Pandora , and Spotify .

In the previous couple of weeks we’ve heard fairly just a few Congress folks say they’re going to retire, even resign. What's the scope of this angst in Congress? What’s the supply of it?

The scope might be fairly massive. I’m listening to from Republican sources, lawmakers, aides, and other people shut to those people who find themselves anticipating much more retirement bulletins within the coming weeks.

There are such a lot of causes for it, however probably the most instant is the political atmosphere. It’s been a very powerful fall for Republicans. That they had fully underperformed in these November elections. There was a particular election in Tennessee in a really pink district that Trump gained by 22 factors. The Republican who gained only won by nine points .

It’s simply one other information level of the political atmosphere and the temper of the nation round Republicans proper now. Persons are that and seeing the writing on the wall and believing that the Home Republicans should not going to be within the majority after the midterms, that they’ll lose the bulk. And it’s not a really enjoyable place to be.

The factor about serving within the Home is you get to reevaluate your life each two years, and we’re in that season the place folks, Republicans particularly, are deciding if it’s value it. And I’m advised that many extra Republicans are going to say that it’s not.

Does your reporting offer you any sense of numbers and the way we will evaluate that attainable quantity to ones we’ve seen beforehand?

An estimate that one supply advised me was that shut to twenty extra Republicans are set to retire.

That’s a seismic quantity.

It's. We’re already at 23 Republicans who've introduced. So it additionally talks in regards to the temper of the Congress. Persons are simply not blissful proper now.

Are Democrats retiring in a majority of these numbers? And when they're quitting, is it for a similar causes?

Democrats are retiring too. It occurs yearly. However the numbers are decrease for Democrats and the explanations are totally different. For the Democrats, most of them are in their late seventies or eighties , or they've served for many years. Nancy Pelosi is among the Democrats who's retiring.

Jerry Nadler in New York.

It’s totally different on the Republican facet. Troy Nehls was elected in 2020. Morgan Luttrell of Texas simply began serving in 2023. He’s younger. A variety of members who're youthful, who haven’t been right here that lengthy, are deciding to name it quits. And that's actually what’s totally different.

Republicans have had powerful moments earlier than. Donald Trump has been unpopular earlier than. What's it about this 12 months, on this time, or the following midterm which may’ve been totally different than simply common different bouts of Trump controversy?

This time period, Donald Trump has a lot management over this Congress. They govern in concern. They do what he says as a result of they’re afraid. Marjorie Taylor Greene said on 60 Minutes : “I feel they’re terrified to step out of line and get a nasty Fact Social submit on them.”

Threats of political violence have solely elevated, and everybody is aware of that in case your identify is in a Fact Social and negatively, there will probably be an uptick for that particular person. These members have been coping with that for a very long time, and that has led to retirements up to now. The flexibility to be an impartial member of Congress has actually, actually diminished, and individuals are feeling that. They're frustrated with Speaker Johnson . They suppose that he's taking part in into the calls for of the president quite than what the members need and want. They have been annoyed that they have been out of city for seven weeks throughout the federal government shutdown.

It’s additionally one of many least productive Congresses in fashionable historical past. The final Congress was actually unproductive, and this one is far more unproductive. Within the final Congress, over two years, 274 payments have been signed into legislation. We’re one 12 months into this Congress. Solely 47 bills have been signed into legislation, and that’s massive laws and small resolutions. They're simply not doing something and legislators get annoyed. Lots of them really come to legislate and once they’re not capable of ship for his or her district, once they’re not capable of take dwelling wins and tasks and cash, individuals are asking themselves, what's the level?

What's Speaker Johnson doing about this? It might appear that if these retirements proceed, he would have a bit little bit of a disaster on his palms. And even after we take into consideration issues like redistricting efforts and others, he has actually chosen to be on the facet of Donald Trump 120 p.c. How has that blowback impacted his personal caucus? And once they’re upset with him, what precisely is the rationale why?

They clearly don’t wish to see loads of retirements as a result of it simply appears unhealthy. It’s an indictment of Congress, of the job. It’s additionally an indictment on Speaker Johnson if he’s unable to maintain these members blissful, unable to make them really feel that they're productive members of society, productive legislators, and that’s simply not taking place proper now. Persons are actually down.

The speakership looks as if such a tough job, as a result of it’s eaten up the final a number of Republican GOP audio system. If we take into consideration that position as one which holds collectively many various elements of the Republican celebration, is it at all times simply destined to be this fraught? Or is {that a} consequence of our present Congress and polarization? What's the universe that Mike Johnson makes it out on the opposite facet right here with a united GOP?

I feel day by day that turns into a more durable and more durable job for him, particularly once you take a look at polling. Trump’s approval rankings proceed to fall. They’re divided on a message. They’re divided on how you can take care of health care and the affordability issue . And so Speaker Johnson popping out on the opposite facet with a united GOP? Possibly, but it surely’s going to be wounded and exhausted and drained and actually cranky. And so the query is, in the event that they don’t win the bulk, what does Speaker Johnson do? There are positively going to be leadership changes . And so there might be an enormous shakeup amongst Home Republicans after the midterms.

In any case that speak about Democrats and their sort of fractured state, there are definitely some cracks that appear to be showing on the Republican facet too.