As of: April 3, 2024, 7:14 p.m
By: Jens Kiffmeier
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Crisis in the US House of Representatives: After various resignations, the Republicans only have a razor-thin majority. Donald Trump is angry about this. But does that help?
Washington – Discord instead of unity: In view of numerous resignations in the US House of Representatives, the Republican majority is crumbling. But US presidential candidate Donald Trump doesn't shed a tear for the apostates. On the contrary. As a farewell, he shouted clear words after the deputies who wanted to withdraw. These are “weaklings and cowards,” the former president railed on his online platform Truth Social. The politicians are a “disgrace” for the venerable party. But can Trump really achieve anything with this? Just a few months before the US election, the Republicans are facing a tough test.
Republican resignations lead Donald Trump to rage
The reason for Donald Trump's anger: Mike Gallagher's resignation. The Wisconsin representative plans to retire from the US House of Representatives on April 19th. The US broadcaster
ABC News
first reported this. The defense politician is following the example of Ken Buck from Colorado, who is already planning his withdrawal this week. This means that the Republicans have a total of four open seats in the important chamber. Two other MPs had already withdrawn months ago.
Is angry with some of his party colleagues: Donald Trump. © Mike Stewart/dpa
While Buck sharply criticized his party's "bickering and nonsense" in the House of Representatives, Gallagher kept quiet about giving reasons for his withdrawal. He told the US broadcaster
CNN
that his departure was due to personal considerations after discussions with his family . According to unconfirmed media reports, he is said to have already agreed on a job change with the data specialist Palantir. The company also provides analytical material for military purposes.
Resignation comes at a bad time for Republicans shortly before the 2024 US election
According to a report by The Hill,
a large proportion of Republicans are said
to be very angry about the move - not because of the possible move to the private sector, but because of the timing. Because of the elected resignation in the second half of April, the vacant seat cannot be filled again until January 2025 at the earliest, according to Wisconsin election laws. The Republicans therefore have to worry about their majority in the House of Representatives until the presidential election in November 2024. After the resignations, they will only have one more vote than the Democrats.
This means that the hands of the party that wants to initiate a change in the White House with Donald Trump at the helm and drive US President Joe Biden out of office are increasingly tied. Blocking government projects or passing your own draft laws will no longer be so easy in the coming months. Many initiatives have already been hotly contested in the past few weeks - not only between Republicans and Democrats, but also between the Republican hardliners around Donald Trump and the moderate forces in the party who certainly fear the former president's return.
With his harsh farewell words towards Buck and Gallagher, Trump is now adding more fuel to the fire. His signal is clear: he doesn't want to moderate compromise, but rather demands unconditional loyalty. He had already done that in the past few weeks. After his victory in the primary against Nikki Haley, he let everyone know that it was time to support him.
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For me or against me: Donald Trump is on a collision course with the Republicans
He received support from his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who was recently elected co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC). The upcoming US election is not “just about right versus left, Republicans versus Democrats,” she said. “It's about good versus evil.” That's why the party will spend every penny to avert the trials against her father and achieve an election victory. Anyone who doesn't like that, she added, should just leave the party.
But it remains unclear whether the strategy will work. Because of his confrontational course, Trump is definitely taking a risk. The
Süddeutsche Zeitung
recently analyzed that he should actually ensnare the moderate forces in the Republican electorate more
. It could be that some people would otherwise prefer to turn to Joe Biden. But Trump apparently doesn't see it that way. There is no other way to explain the attack on the apostates. (
jkf
)