Amid Immunity Pleas And Trump Scandals, Republicans Are At Each Other’s Throats
Despite holding a majority of government offices and winning the White House in the last election, the Republican Party remains scattered to the public eye. House of Reps Speaker Paul Ryan pulled the American Healthcare Act from the floor last week in an attempt to prevent further humiliation of the Republican Party, as reported by Forbes. This was a huge retraction as the bill hadn’t even been voted on, and a healthcare overhaul remains one of Trump’s biggest promises. This is just the latest display of Republicans being at odds with each other within their own party. Some observers have noted that the friction between the Republicans is social as well as political.
AHCA failure laying bare the personal – not just political – tensions inside the House Republican Conference. https://t.co/tMiN0j3Lah
— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) March 31, 2017
After securing the election and taking office in January, Trump has been the center of unrelenting controversy. During his campaign, reporters and critics brought Trump’s history of bankruptcy to light, as well as his derogatory comments regarding women, further examined by the New York Times. Trump and his Republican allies left a snail-trail behind them in their come-up to the White House, which, to be fair, is common of American politicians.
The issue is that Donald Trump, despite being the president, isn’t a politician. Former President Barack Obama is a Harvard Law School graduate and the first black President of the Harvard Law Review. Well versed in American law and politics, he became a professor of constitutional law in Chicago for more than a decade. He also worked as a civil rights attorney before being elected Senator of Illinois, and eventually President of the United States.
President Trump, although a juggernaut of the entrepreneurial world, doesn’t even come close to having the political credentials that any prior president has had. The original spread of Republican candidates, at a record of 12 people running for the White House, gave Trump enough room to talk his way into the primary. He remains a total greenhorn in regard to American politics and government protocol. Trump lined his cabinet with corporate titans and banking agents — more people with less than average political experience.
“If the U.S. government is run anything like the Trump organization,” says @NaomiAKlein, “expect to be looted.” https://t.co/7m8mp5SdQK pic.twitter.com/0ODZErUrO2
— The Intercept (@theintercept) March 31, 2017
The Republican Party has been divided since last year on whether to support Trump as president, reported by the U.S. News last October. The public failure of the American Healthcare Act is just the latest display of discord among the Republican Party and their inability to make decisions. The feuds between the Republican politicians serves to further fracture the GOP.
Per NBC News, Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn requested immunity yesterday amid mounting evidence and conspiracy surrounding President Trump’s possible tether to Russian interests. It was confirmed that Flynn had been meeting and communicating with Russian officials without informing either the president or vice president. Upon disclosure of Flynn’s involvement with Russia, he resigned from his position and has since offered to “tell his story” to investigators.
“We should first acknowledge what a grave and momentous step it is for a former National Security Adviser to the President of the United States to ask for immunity from prosecution.”
The controversy around Flynn and the possible link between Trump’s platform and Russia won’t help bring the Republican Party back together. Trump continues to attack Republican skeptics and politicians by name via his Twitter account, which has been the president’s calling card since he started using the application.
If @RepMarkMeadows, @Jim_Jordan and @Raul_Labrador would get on board we would have both great healthcare and massive tax cuts & reform.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2017
As reported by WGCU, Republican politicians are having problems governing and make decisions in the shadow of Trump’s presidency. Senator Ted Cruz, who ran against Trump during the campaign season, made a statement regarding the friction within the Republican Party.
“It’s clear that tensions are running high. I believe we can come together, and the only way for us to govern and deliver on our promises is for Republicans not to turn the cannons on each other, but stand united behind shared principles, and that’s what I hope all of us do.”
With so many loose ends hanging from Trump’s heels, it’s unclear where he stands among the whirlwind. According to WGCU, the president wouldn’t hesitate to cutout current Republican lawmakers and politicians and make back-alley deals with the Democrats instead. Observing Trump’s business history and habits, he’s employed similar tactics before, essentially forcing his opposition into an ultimatum. One thing is clear: As Trump continues to act as president, the Republican Party continues to fragment.
[Featured Image by Ron Sach/Getty Images]
