Republican lawmakers’ frustration with President Trump’s frenetic leadership resurfaced this week after the White House sparked an avoidable political firestorm and was indecisive on immigration policy.
As Republicans in Congress dodged the crossfire of the Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy of splitting families caught crossing the Southern border illegally, they struggled to divine his position on twin immigration reform bills moving through the House and obtain assurances from him that he wouldn’t turn against them after the vote.
Trump appeared to endorse both on Tuesday, only to suggest on Thursday that passing either was useless because support in the Senate was uncertain. That’s not the kind of strong cover Republicans need on immigration, a sensitive issue with the conservative grassroots that could boomerang on them without the president’s support.
“He could be Nixon-to-China on immigration, but he does not lead,” complained one exasperated House Republican, who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly. The analogy referenced President Richard Nixon’s outreach to China in the early 1970s, a risky political move enabled by the Republican’s credibility as a staunch anti-communist.
Even under normal circumstances, members of Congress like to have policy and political certainty from a president, especially chief executives of the same party. Trump’s habit of changing his mind after giving his blessing to an emerging deal, or a piece of legislation — often based on conversations with family members or allies outside the White House — is unnerving for GOP lawmakers.
Trump is popular with Republican voters. His seal of approval, or rejection, can have a major influence on the conservative grassroots. That has made congressional Republicans hesitant to cross the president on politically sensitive issues like immigration. It’s why House Republicans were laboring so hard for an ironclad guarantee that wouldn’t turn against their bills after the vote.
Trump’s tweet Thursday morning, in which he said passing an immigration bill was a waste of time, left Republicans questioning his commitment and fretting that they might take the vote only to be immediately undercut by the president in another surprise tweet or statement. It’s happened before; after House Republicans approved an Obamacare-repeal package, Trump called it a “mean” bill.
“I’m hearing members say that they had told the president they need him to be full-throated, upfront, in support of legislation, just tell us which ones you like, and we’ll be there. But you’ve got to have our back,” Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said.
The first of the House immigration bills, proposing to tighten border security but also protect from deportation illegal immigrants eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, was defeated in a vote on Thursday afternoon. The second bill, a broader compromise among centrist and conservative Republicans in the House, was to be voted on next week. Trump has blessed it — for now.
Trump, an immigration hawk, moved to curb illegal border crossing through a zero tolerance policy of separating illegal immigrant parents from their migrant children.
Trump is not the first president to preside over the splitting of apprehended families. But his administration signaled months ago that it would ratchet up separations to deter illegal immigration and stop illegal immigrants from gaming U.S. asylum laws. Prior administrations only split families in cases where the parents were subject to outstanding criminal matters.
The president initially dismissed the national and international outrage that ensued as overblown, insisting he didn’t have the power to relax the policy absent congressional action. But by midweek, after Republican lawmakers, including many natural allies, turned against the policy, Trump backed down. He issued an executive order designed to halt separations and reunite families.
Republicans, laser focused on midterm elections that could threaten their control of Congress, said Trump’s stubbornness created more political fallout for the party than was necessary. They have grown accustomed to his unpredictable leadership and learned to work around it. This week that ability was stretched to its limits.
“I think it’s working out. But it’s been difficult,” Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said.
