Following the 2024 election, Republicans have a “trifecta authorities,” or a majority in each chambers of Congress and the presidency. Nonetheless, the bulk is slim. At the moment the Republicans maintain 220 seats within the Home of Representatives, simply two greater than the minimal required. In Senate, they preserve an eight-seat benefit over the Democrats.
With that in thoughts, there are three steps the GOP ought to observe to take care of their majority.
- Ditch Musk
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been at President Donald Trump’s aspect for the reason that finish of the Republican Nationwide Conference final yr. Musk used his wealth and affect to sway voters in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia.
Following his victory within the 2024 election, Musk stood by the president, reportedly even sleeping at Mar-a Lago (the president’s non-public property) and even having a say in cupboard picks. Musk was additionally appointed by Trump to be the top of a brand new federal “division,” the Division of Authorities Effectivity, extra generally generally known as DOGE. Though it’s known as a division, it isn’t an official federal division, as Congress would wish to determine that by laws.
On this function, Musk has not solely in the reduction of on federal spending and funding, but in addition eradicated jobs throughout a number of departments and despatched memos to the heads of the departments to maintain staff in line and productive. Moreover, his attendance at a number of cupboard conferences, uncommon for somebody who shouldn’t be a cupboard member or cupboard degree official, has sparked controversy. This has led Democrats to name him “President Musk” in reference to his undue affect over the administration. The New York Occasions has alleged that Musk has triggered stress within the administration. Significantly final month, when Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had an altercation, resulting in Trump defending Rubio and calling Musk out.
Whereas a number of information shops have indicated that Musk will quickly take a step again from his duties within the administration, an earlier departure will profit each Republicans in Congress and the GOP success within the 2028 presidential election.
Musk’s undue affect mixed with unhealthy PR leaves him with low approval scores in comparison with different members of the Trump administration. Democrats might use this as a possibility to assault Republicans as “weak” or beneath the management of an elitist billionaire.
- Move Laws
Whereas it’s utterly throughout the President’s authority and proper to signal govt orders, it’s not a superb look. Each time a president indicators an order they’re oftentimes not solely challenged by the alternative social gathering — they’re additionally challenged in court docket.
Trump’s latest govt orders on immigration are a superb instance. When the president evoked the Alien and Sedition acts to deport unlawful aliens, Democrats in congress instantly challenged the president. Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin and three different congressional Democrats wrote a letter through which they referred to as the president’s actions “troubling and misguided interpretation of the Structure.”
The courts have additionally challenged Trump on these orders, most notably James Boasberg— a US district court docket choose for DC. Boasberg positioned a two-week pause on deportations however the administration would problem him again and remains to be in an ongoing battle with the choose. Boasberg has even warned that he might maintain Trump officers in contempt of court docket for transferring forward on deportation regardless of his order.
Nonetheless, these sorts of challenges are normally par for the course with regards to presidential energy.
For instance, in 2014, President Barack Obama issued a sequence of govt orders referred to as “Immigration Accountability Govt Actions” that had been meant to reform the immigration system. Nonetheless, it was considered because the president mainly strolling round congress to vary the system.
Resulting in a 4-4 resolution by the supreme court docket which voided the orders. Whereas Obama was disillusioned with the choice made by the court docket, Home Speaker Paul Ryan praised the choice— stating that the court docket “vindicated” Article I of the structure.
Congress is the physique that’s answerable for laws hitting the president’s desk. Whereas there have been some legislative victories for the president, such because the passage of the Laken Riley Act and a invoice overturning an previous IRS rule on cryptocurrency, a handful of laws shouldn’t be adequate for the GOP to sway voters preserve its majority.
- Hold Mike Johnson
Being speaker of the Home has not been a simple job in recent times. In 2023, Kevin McCarthy — then the Home majority chief — needed to undergo 18 rounds of voting in and a few critical negotiating with extra “MAGA” Republicans within the Home so as to develop into speaker.
Regardless of this, he was voted out as Speaker eight months later and finally left Congress. An extra two days of voting in September of that yr led to Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson receiving the speaker’s gavel. Nonetheless, extra right-wing members haven’t loved his tenure as speaker.
Johnson has usually damaged from members of his personal social gathering and labored with Democrats throughout his tenure to get laws handed. When time got here to vote for speaker in January of this yr, Johnson’s help was wavering. Many thought he was too tender to be speaker; nevertheless, Trump endorsed Johnson the day earlier than the voting came about.
Within the first spherical of voting, Johnson fell three votes shy of changing into speaker, which led to tense negotiation with the outliers to vary their vote so Johnson might have the gavel as soon as once more.
Johnson is a practical determine in these tense political occasions and one who can, if wanted, prolong his hand throughout the aisle, as he did many occasions with President Joe Biden and different Democrats to get essential laws handed. Not solely does maintaining Johnson as speaker guarantee a continuity of presidency but in addition make sure that public notion of a divided social gathering is calmed.