Republicans are telling Trump to change course. He says no.
A day after Democrats took control of Congress in the US midterms, pressure on President Donald Trump is coming from inside his own party.
On Wednesday, Republican allies and strategists urged him to shake up his White House team, restore discipline and drop the policies they blame for the defeat. Top of that list: the Iran war and tariffs. Voters also turned down several candidates Trump personally backed in key races.
Veteran Republican strategist John Feehery called the result a "huge disaster" for the president. "He needs to clean house," he said, warning that Trump is becoming more of a lame duck with every passing day.
A senior White House official told Reuters that internal polling warned six weeks before the vote that Republicans were on track to lose both chambers. According to the official, Trump would not change course on Iran despite those warnings. "He refused to listen to anyone," the official said.
Trump admitted late on Tuesday that the eight-month-old Iran war had hurt Republican candidates, but he defended starting it. He told Fox News he does not see the outcome as a hit on him.
The concerns go beyond the war. Republican advisers say focus groups in states like Michigan and Iowa showed voters growing tired of Trump's attention on the White House ballroom and other Washington renovations. On Wednesday he took reporters to the ballroom construction site and said the project is "relaxing" for him.
The White House struck a defiant tone, posting a photo of Trump with the message "PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT."
What happens next:
• Democrats can now block his bills, investigate his administration and challenge his nominees
• Staff departures and possible Cabinet changes are expected, a senior official said
• The White House has prepared executive actions on immigration, tariffs, housing and federal spending to push ahead without Congress
Should Trump listen to his party and change direction, or stay the course for his final two years?
#Trump #Republicans #USMidterms #USPolitics #WhiteHouse
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