Donald Trump may have claimed his victory as a decisive mandate, but as Washington braces for his return, the challenges of governance are already testing his influence and the unity of his party.
Trump’s last-minute attempt to block a bipartisan bill aimed at funding the government through March ended in failure, as he failed to secure his goal of addressing the looming debt ceiling. Instead, the move highlighted deep divisions within the Republican Party. On Thursday, 38 House Republicans defied the president-elect, and by Saturday morning, 170 GOP members of the House and several Republican senators had voted in favor of the bill Trump had threatened to oppose.
This chaotic episode, occurring just weeks before Trump’s inauguration, underscores the hurdles he will face with a narrow House majority and a Senate full of lawmakers focused on their own political survival. Although Trump has framed his November victory as a sweeping mandate, that claim is being challenged by both recent events and the numbers. Despite securing a historic popular vote win for a Republican, Trump’s support still failed to reach a majority, and his Electoral College victory, while significant, was far from record-breaking.
Trump himself said, “The beauty is that we won by so much,” claiming a “massive” mandate. However, even before officially assuming office, his party has handed him several defeats.
One of those setbacks came when Florida Senator Rick Scott, a close Trump ally, lost his bid to lead the Republican Senate majority to Senator John Thune, who had been outspoken in his criticism of Trump. While Trump refrained from officially backing Scott, the loss was a blow to his inner circle, which included high-profile supporters like Elon Musk and Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA.
Trump also stumbled with his pick for attorney general. Initially, he backed Representative Matt Gaetz, but after widespread opposition, Gaetz was replaced by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Additionally, Trump backed off from efforts to secure a U.S. Senate seat for his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis privately resisted the move, citing potential political fallout.
“I respect Ron’s decision,” Trump told reporters, distancing himself from the Lara Trump campaign. “That’s his choice, not mine.”
Despite these early challenges, Trump continues to assert control over his party, moving forward with contentious Cabinet nominations. His picks, such as former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal anti-vaccine advocate, for secretary of health and human services, have sparked controversy. Hegseth has faced allegations of misconduct, while Kennedy’s divisive stance on public health has raised concerns. Nevertheless, Trump has remained steadfast in his support for these nominees, insisting on their confirmation.
Republican lawmakers are feeling the heat. At a recent Turning Point USA event, Charlie Kirk warned that opposing Trump’s Cabinet picks would lead to primary challenges: “Confirm them all, or face the consequences,” Kirk declared.
Trump’s collaboration with Elon Musk has added another layer of complexity to his political strategy. Musk’s involvement in undermining the government funding bill—boasting about the smaller size of the final legislation—has made Republican negotiations even more difficult. Some GOP members have expressed frustration with Trump’s tactics, calling them short-sighted.
“I’m willing to swallow bitter pills like budget bills and debt ceiling increases to give Trump the runway he needs,” said Representative Dan Crenshaw. “But we need a plan for that.”
As Trump begins to navigate the intricacies of governance, he has acknowledged the limits of his influence. In a conversation with a GOP lawmaker, he reportedly conceded that avoiding a government shutdown was inevitable, even if it meant delaying his debt ceiling goals.
Despite these early setbacks, Trump’s allies believe his presidency is just beginning. Former adviser Steve Bannon summarized it best: “If you thought the last 48 hours were chaotic, wait until every day under President Trump looks like this.”
Whether these turbulent moments strengthen or weaken Trump’s mandate remains unclear, but his return to Washington is already having an unpredictable impact on the political landscape.