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Congressional Republicans Begin to Look Beyond Trump
The New York Times ^ | Nov. 20, 2025 Updated 5:08 p.m. ET | Carl Hulse

Posted on 11/20/2025 7:42:56 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

President Trump has always defied the laws of political gravity, seemingly impervious to setbacks that would sink any other figure and immune from the traditional ebb and flow of campaign cycles.

But his capitulation in the fight over releasing the Epstein files, and other recent developments, suggest that, when it comes to Congress, the president is subject to at least some of the same currents as his predecessors, as the first signs of his lame duck status emerge.

The willingness of congressional Republicans to defy Mr. Trump and back legislation requiring the disclosure of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender and one-time Trump friend, was the clearest evidence yet that G.O.P. lawmakers are starting to look beyond Mr. Trump’s tenure to their self-preservation in midterm elections next year.

There are other signs as well, notably the refusal by Senate Republicans to bow to Mr. Trump’s demand to gut the filibuster during the shutdown fight, and resistance in some states to his intense push to redraw House district maps to cement the G.O.P.’s hold and prevent a Democratic takeover that would imperil the president.

Mr. Trump’s previously ironclad grip on the Republican Congress might even be weakening earlier than usual, before the more typical loss of power by a sitting president following midterm elections. Republicans are reacting in real time to the drubbing their party took in off-year elections earlier this month, defeats that were much worse than anticipated.

Polling also shows Mr. Trump and his party in a weakened state on a number of fronts headed into a 2026 election cycle that will determine control of Congress, with Americans citing rising costs and a dour view of the economy that Mr. Trump had pledged to fix to their benefit.

The president continues to hold an outsized grip..

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: carlhulse; fakenews; newyorkslimes; spammingfr; tds
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1 posted on 11/20/2025 7:42:56 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
In other news:

War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
2+2=5

2 posted on 11/20/2025 7:44:31 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (I have no answers. Only questions.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Why post anything from the NY Slimes? Its always bogus!


3 posted on 11/20/2025 7:44:32 PM PST by TonyM (Score Event)
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To: TonyM

You should file a complaint and have me banned.


4 posted on 11/20/2025 7:45:14 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (I have no answers. Only questions.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Name them, Slimes


5 posted on 11/20/2025 7:45:42 PM PST by digger48
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Media says it in hopes it comes true!


6 posted on 11/20/2025 7:46:25 PM PST by Brandonmark (November 5, 2024 - A New Day in America!Adam Schiff PARDONED criminal!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Uniparty already rearing up while Trump hasn’t even finished year 1 of term 2, doing more in this time than Biden did in 4...


7 posted on 11/20/2025 7:47:14 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Sane people begin to look beyond the NY Slimes.


8 posted on 11/20/2025 7:48:34 PM PST by Mark (DONATE ONCE every 3 months-is that a big deal?)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

One word.

Primary


9 posted on 11/20/2025 7:49:22 PM PST by Az Joe (No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Yup


10 posted on 11/20/2025 7:50:19 PM PST by Ken Regis (I concur )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The long knives are out in the media for sure if nothing else.


11 posted on 11/20/2025 7:51:46 PM PST by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS, REMEMBER REV; NIEMOLLER)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

This should be fun.

They don’t seem to know much, produce anything, are bought off, look like whores, and have the spines of a jellyfishes.

The entertainment value will be priceless.


12 posted on 11/20/2025 7:52:07 PM PST by unclebankster (Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. )
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To: Mark
Sane people begin to look beyond the NY Slimes.

I like to see know what ridiculous things they are saying today.

If you think that's wrong, you should file a complaint and have me banned.

13 posted on 11/20/2025 7:52:14 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (I have no answers. Only questions.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Trump really stepped in it this time! It’s all over for him now! Again!


14 posted on 11/20/2025 7:56:49 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (I have no answers. Only questions.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

President Trump, and some well heeled backers need to quietly set up post graduate degrees at conservative universities and colleges, led by tightly controlled and funded chairs, to promulgate “The Trump Philosophy” in the future.

No small project, because President Trump has been a whirlwind in office, doing the work of a half-dozen superior presidents.


15 posted on 11/20/2025 7:59:58 PM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Stare too long into the dachshund and the dachshund stares back.")
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

OK. We all know that Trump is done in 2029 as acting president.

If a Dem takes his place, it is game over for any flavor of Republican.

If a Republican wins, it would likely be Vance, Rubio, DeSantis. While any of them might make small or large betrayals, and none of them are Trump, we are unlikely to get the kind of reshaping that happened under Bush. All three know they need MAGA to win.

While Trump will be quite old after his term, he may be one of those men who keeps his wits and energy about himself for sometime.

Teddy Roosevelt was not shy about calling out William Howard Taft (to a fault, but that’s for another thread). When he did so, it sure did NOT help Taft.

Also, the handful of Freedom Caucus types will be capable of calling out rogues when needed.

The main thing is, the RINO crowd has MONEY, and a sellout to RINO principles will be rewarded with MONEY.

Its a TRAP. We want VOTES, not MONEY. We want our AGENDA, not simply “our side” holding office.

We want people who don’t necessarily want to be on good terms with those on the other side who would destroy Western Civilization for power &/or money. People who have thick skin and can deal with losing friends, clients, money and party invitations.

We want the posers to be respectful of the clout of the base enough so that they keep on posing until they move on.


16 posted on 11/20/2025 8:00:42 PM PST by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

You are one of those clowns who “talk down” the economy.


17 posted on 11/20/2025 8:01:40 PM PST by kaktuskid
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

They BEGIN to look past Trump?


18 posted on 11/20/2025 8:02:21 PM PST by stanne
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I know it is the NYT but that would lead to death in the midterms.


19 posted on 11/20/2025 8:02:46 PM PST by ilgipper (The mob only destroys. Never creates. )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

NY Slimes going into damage control after Trump trolls the democrats and gets them to vote to incriminate themselves...That’s what I see...


20 posted on 11/20/2025 8:02:48 PM PST by Quickgun (I got here kicking,screaming and covered in someone else's blood. I can go out that way if I have to)
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