Dem
51
GOP
49
An increasing number of Republicans are worried about what would happen if Donald Trump wins another term as president. They remember all the fighting they had with him the first time and are fearful that it would only be worse the second time around. Indeed, as president, he was constantly feuding with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who will probably continue to be the top Republican in the Senate, at least until Jan. 3, 2027. That's a minimum of 2 years of Trump and McConnell at each other's throats.
Republicans' worries are showing up in endorsements. Despite Trump's massive lead in all the polls, only 13 of the 49 Republican senators and about 80 of the 221 Republican representatives have endorsed him. That's very telling, given the near certainty that he will be the Republican presidential nominee. And it will cause huge problems if Trump is elected president because he is going to go all out to punish those among the 36 Republican senators and roughly 140 Republican representatives who haven't endorsed him if they are still in Congress come Jan. 3, 2025. That won't lead to smooth sailing.
Many Senate Republicans who are worried sick about Trump believe that Nikki Haley is their last best hope of stopping him. They like the fact that she is not going to blindside them with preposterous off-the-wall statements that they will then be asked about. They think that she is also more electable than Trump because she does not alienate suburban women and independents the way Trump does. For example, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) said Haley "seems to be" emerging as the leading alternative to Trump. Many of them have written off Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and don't think he can stage a comeback. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said of DeSantis: "Using a Florida/NASA analogy, I think the launch window has passed."
As president, Trump is likely to nominate people that the senators know are completely incompetent for top positions and are being chosen exclusively for their willingness to do whatever their lord and master wants. He is going to ask for laws that the senators know have no chance of passing, especially if Democrats control the House. He's going to ask the House to impeach judges who have ruled against him. He is going to say extremely controversial things and reporters will ask members of Congress if they agree with them.
When asked if he and his colleagues were worried about clashing with Trump, Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) said: "Shit, yeah. The orange Jesus?" Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), a former Trump aide, said Trump would work closely with "allies like me who are moderately pragmatic, that are all in on the America First agenda than more unpredictable conservatives like the eight (including [Rep. Andy] Biggs) who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy." In other words, Trump is going to ignore, dump on, and punish Republicans who haven't exhibited sufficient loyalty to him.
The next 11 months of campaigning could be just as bad. Trump's call to replace the ACA is making Republicans nervous. They know such talk is not a winner and want him to shut up, but he won't. They are concerned that he will back candidates who can't win. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) said there is plenty of dread among his colleagues about Trump's return to the spotlight, but "everyone is being more private about it." Simpson also said they are all worried about "4 years of revenge" if Trump wins. (V)