Democracy Dies in Darkness

Even Republicans want a check on Trump

Three-quarters of Americans and a majority of Republicans say they want Republicans in Congress to push back on Donald Trump when they disagree.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) listens as President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a meeting of House Republicans earlier this month. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Analysis by

Donald Trump has spent his nearly three weeks as president-elect testing the boundaries of his mandate — to the extent it exists — with the American people and with the Republican Party.

He has challenged GOP senators with unorthodox and controversial Cabinet picks and even argued that he should be able to appoint them without Senate approval. And some in Trump’s party have essentially agreed that the party should do whatever Trump wants, because he won the 2024 election.