There are early signs that the Republican Party brass may be melting down in the face of demands from Trump Tower. Not long ago, deficit spending and market-meddling earned President Obama scorn from the GOP. But House Speaker Paul Ryan has praised President-elect Trump for picking winners and losers, and fiscal hawks in the Freedom Caucus are considering backing a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill.
If the Trump White House does try to strong-arm Congress — as recent experience suggests it emphasizes the “bully” in “bully pulpit” — Republicans must hang tough. This not simply for the good of the party, but also for the good of the nation, and ultimately for the good of the new president himself. To preserve limited government, free-market principles, honest government and open debate, GOP lawmakers will sometimes have to be a loyal opposition. They should never be yes men.
Our belief in the virtues of competition is part of what makes the Washington Examiner conservative. And competition is beneficial not simply in financial, commercial and economic matters. In political matters, too, better ideas vigorously presented, have the power to improve bad policies and make good policies even better. We hope, as we argued before the election, too, that the GOP majorities on Capitol Hill will always work to improve the policies of the Trump administration rather than get rolled by them.
If, rather, they give Trump a free hand to make deals, Republicans risk permanently losing their principles during his negotiations.
If Trump tramples free-enterprise, as in his calls for ad-hoc punitive tariffs, conservatives need to object publicly and bear the slings and arrows of the administration’s enforcers. At the same time, when Trump advances a worthy campaign promise, such as his tax reforms, he deserves support and praise. If this is their guide, Republicans will be making the government better, and voters will notice.
Checking and balancing Trump has already proved challenging. After Texas Rep. Bill Flores suggested that Trump’s populism might not always “line up very well with our conservative policies,” Trump supporters summoned viral rage, manufactured headlines and bellowed about talk radio’s hot air.
But conservatives should not be cowed. Trump won a historic election, but his opponent was wildly unpopular, ran an incompetent operation and campaigned on issues irrelevant to voters’ concerns in a majority of states. And to date, Trump’s fervent following has not demonstrated the power that the Tea Party had to defenestrate House members.
Getting beaten up on talk radio, mocked on Twitter and heckled at town halls isn’t fun. But standing up for one’s principals isn’t about having fun. Politics is playing hardball.
Conservatism has proved its popularity throughout Obama’s time in office. Campaigning against deficit spending and growing government proved a winning strategy for House and Senate candidates in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Those principles are not likely to go out of vogue unless lawmakers let them.
In rejecting Clinton, the electorate registered dissatisfaction with the Left’s policy making. Keeping the White House requires Republicans to draw a clear contrast with Democrats.
On matters of ethics and good government, too, Republicans must thoroughly exercise their oversight powers.
Every leader needs pushback. Conservatives have always rejected central planning and favored competition, and that applies to the realm of policymaking, too. Republican lawmakers made a big mistake in the Bush era by making themselves White House functionaries.
If the party plays its cards right, the gains for conservatism during the Trump presidency could be historic. With Democrats on the defensive in 2018, that election promises to be a monumental midterm. Twenty-five blue Senate seats are on the line, placing a red supermajority within grasp.
Trump’s victory surely means Republicans need to rethink their priorities. It also suggests the GOP needs to figure out where populism fits in with conservatism.
But Trump didn’t earn the right to steamroll the party. What he earned and deserves is a loyal opposition, and Republicans have to be ready to play that role.
