A handful of Republican senators have broken with President Trump on four issues this week, even as they're in lockstep with him on the government shutdown.
Why it matters: From tariffs to troop levels, some Republicans are starting to flex their institutional muscles.
- It's not outright defiance, but the renegade senators are delineating when and where they're willing to defy Trump.
1) Tariffs: Senate Republicans joined with Democrats three times this week to pass joint resolutions repealing Trump tariffs — on Brazil, Canada and worldwide.
- Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) voted with Democrats against Trump tariffs.
2) Romania: The House and Senate GOP chairs of the Armed Services committees derided Trump's decision to draw down troops in Romania.
- "We strongly oppose the decision," Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said in a joint statement Wednesday, arguing it "sends the wrong signal to Russia."
- "It is concerning that Congress was not consulted in advance of this decision," they added.
- McConnell, who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, joined in their concerns. "Retreating from Europe doesn't advance deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, because Russia and China are working together to undermine us," he said in a statement.
3) Venezuela: Some Republicans expressed concern today that the White House chose to exclude Democrats on Wednesday from a briefing about the administration's strikes on boats allegedly involved in drug smuggling.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told the HuffPost that Democrats "absolutely" should be briefed, and it is "very important that everybody's briefed."
- Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) has since raised that issue with the administration, telling NBC News it was "unfortunate" Democrats weren't part of the meeting.
4) Beef: In a closed-door lunch on Tuesday, Vice President Vance got an earful from senators outraged by Trump's announcement about importing Argentine beef.
- It's a major issue for GOP senators representing big cattle-ranching states — some of which also have soybean farmers suffering from the China-Trump trade war.
- The topic was discussed at such length that Vance jokingly asked if anyone had anything to say not about beef, sources told Axios.
