WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President 鈥檚 veneer of political invulnerability has begun to crack as he struggles to find his footing on Americans鈥� and fails to extinguish a push by renegade Republicans to release more files from
The twin challenges, coming shortly after in recent elections and before next year鈥檚 midterm campaigns that will determine control of Congress, represent a sobering situation for a president who has reveled in his unrivaled dominance in Washington.
He has with brute force, in cities around the country, ignored concerns about and launched remodeling projects like attached to the White House.
But Trump鈥檚 aggressive approach to his second term does not undo political realities, such as that festers despite inflation that’s lower than during President Joe Biden’s term.
鈥淲e had the highest, think of it, the highest inflation in the history of our country,鈥� Trump said Monday at a summit sponsored by McDonald’s. 鈥淣ow we have normal inflation. We’re going to get it a little bit lower, frankly, but we have normal, we’ve normalized it, we have it down to a low level, but we’re going to get it a little bit lower. We want perfection.鈥�
In addition, there’s the inescapable fact that the president is a lame duck who is constitutionally prohibited from running again, despite his interest in
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who has frequently angered Trump, reminded his party about this on Sunday as he urged lawmakers to support legislation that would force the Justice Department to publish documents about Epstein.
鈥淚 would remind my Republican colleagues who are deciding how to vote 鈥� Donald Trump can protect you in red districts right now by giving you an endorsement,鈥� Massie said on ABC 海角社区app. 鈥淏ut in 2030, he鈥檚 not going to be the president, and you will have voted to protect pedophiles if you don鈥檛 vote to release these files, and the president can鈥檛 protect you then.鈥�
The Epstein files have been a pressure point
Epstein, who died by suicide several years ago, was a convicted sex offender infamous for his connections to wealthy and powerful people, making him about wrongdoing among American elites.
Trump had opposed the Epstein bill in the House, describing it as a continuation of investigations that have shadowed him for years, until he abruptly reversed course Sunday, saying 鈥渋t’s time to move on鈥� from the issue by announcing his support for the vote.
It was an acknowledgement that Trump had suffered a rare defeat in the Republican-controlled Congress, where party members have been reluctant to
Even as he strains to impose his will on Republicans like of Georgia, whom he split with over the weekend, Trump also is trying to stave off potential losses in next year’s midterms. If Democrats take control of Congress, they will be empowered to block Trump’s agenda and investigate his administration.
He’s been pushing state leaders to to improve his party’s chances. On Monday, he stewed that weren’t toeing his line, and he announced that he would endorse primary challenges against any lawmaker who doesn’t support redistricting.
鈥淲e must keep the Majority at all costs,鈥� Trump wrote on social media. “Republicans must fight back!鈥�
Voter concerns about the cost of living loom large
Holding the line will most likely require addressing Americans’ economic concerns, which have sometimes taken a backseat to Trump’s focus on establishing a and scaling up immigration enforcement.
Trump conceded Sunday night that some consumer costs are 鈥渁 little bit higher.” Addressing affordability has prompted Trump to , a core part of his economic agenda. His administration reduced levies on imports of products like coffee, beef and tropical fruit, an implicit concession that tariffs have increased costs despite the president’s promises to the contrary.
The president has also proposed a funded by tariff revenue, for all Americans except for the rich. But there’s no guarantee that Congress will go along with the idea when the federal government continues to struggle with debt, and sending cash to people could increase the inflation that Trump has pledged to eliminate.
Still, Trump delivered a rather upbeat message about the economy at the McDonald’s event.
鈥淲e’re really doing well as a country,鈥� he said.
Democrats swept elections in New Jersey, Virginia and elsewhere this month, a sign of discontent with Trump’s handling of the economy.
Neil Newhouse, a longtime Republican pollster, said Democratic victories weren’t surprising but 鈥渨hat got our attention was the depth and the breadth of the wins.鈥�
He warned that his party risks making the same mistakes as , who oversaw high inflation while attempting to convince voters that the problem would soon pass.
鈥淲e can tell them prices are going down until we鈥檙e blue in the face,” Newhouse said. “Unless they鈥檙e seeing it at the grocery stores, it doesn鈥檛 make a damn bit of difference.鈥�
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