You guys. We need to check on Republicans. They’re having a rough couple of months. I know it is odd to say since they run the government and have busy little bees tearing down any traces of that government helping people.
Heck, they’ve been busy tearing down actual people. Veterans and trans people alike. Wait, they’ve been busy tearing down trans veterans. But I digress.
Why am I worried about them? Because they still seem pretty angry and upset, and I hate to see it. They’re such an angsty bunch. That made sense, to some extent, in 2024, when they rode an off-the-rails train of lies and fear back to the White House. The campaign was a bit stressful for everybody involved, if I’m being honest.
Plus, it can be bothersome to keep track of so much lying and fearmongering. It’s a burden I don’t wish on anybody. But why are they still so mad? They won, right? Like, they all the way won in November.
They have Congress. They have the White House. They have the Supreme Court. They had all their political wishes come true. Now what?
Trump, Republicans still seem angry while controlling everything
President Donald Trump arrives at Palm Beach, Fla., on March 28, 2025.
I guess I have some theories, but it all comes down to the notion that governing and working on behalf of voters is hard. It’s hard, you guys. There is a spectrum of laws and rules that my woke education taught me requires something called “checks and balances.”
The nuance and skill set elected leaders need to navigate those checks and balances are not as easy as former President Barack Obama made it look. I get that.
So, instead of shrinking government, firing everybody, changing elections and eliminating federal departments through congressional action, Trump has decided to do it on his own and sort it out later in the courts. It has caused needless chaos. Republicans don’t have to cheat to do stuff. They can, you know, just do stuff.
Opinion: Of course Trump’s Cabinet lied about that Signal chat. It’s the Republican way.
And yet, they are unraveling under the weight of it, and Trump hasn’t even hit the 100 days in office milestone.
Here is a list of what has gone sideways for the party that we were told might know how to stabilize a country that Democrats had let fall off a cliff. MAGA will point out that Democrats are also in disarray, and that’s not wrong. But Democrats don’t control the government anymore, and Republicans still needed them to stop a shutdown.
Is that everything? Probably not. Shout out something if I missed it. But that’s a wild amount of chaos and political destruction implemented quickly.
And again, there is no reason for most of it. Many of these misguided things could have been done through Congress if its members could be bothered to do anything.
I guess if you relish the pain of others, that list belongs in the political destruction hall of fame. But if you’re looking for long-lasting accomplishments beyond half-baked executive orders immediately thrown out in court, you’re going to be looking a long time. Republicans are too busy fussing about the job to do it.
Let me try to cheer Republicans up a little in these hard times
House Speaker Mike Johnson, with fellow Republican leaders, at a news conference on March 25, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
The thing is, there is polling that suggests Republican voters are happy with Trump, even if they’ve soured on Musk. Sure, everybody else wants Trump gone, but he’s a big hit with his followers. That’s nice, right?
So why are Republicans so hell-bent on breaking as much as possible while playing the victim card at every turn?
Trump can’t stop whining on Truth Social. House Speaker Mike Johnson gave a whacky news conference where he threatened to go after judges. Might he consider getting Congress to do anything to legislate Trump’s MAGA manifesto instead?
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Republican members of Congress are hiding from voters. One in Arizona checked to make sure only people registered as Republicans could enter his town hall. What are you afraid of, my guy? Facts?
I guess I feel the need to reassure Republicans. Here goes:
Yes, Trump is a horrible president by all measures we use. Yes, the Republican Congress is increasingly one of the most useless we’ve seen in modern political history. And, sure, the economy isn’t doing great, and maybe Trump won’t be able to “fix it” on Day 1 like he promised. He’s kind of making it worse.
But look at all you have accomplished in such a short and destructive time. You’ve managed to expose the fakery of our political guardrails. You’ve quickly created a blueprint for how presidents going forward can govern free of congressional meddling. You even innovated by letting a billionaire fire as many peasants as possible for his amusement.
That’s something, right? So, buck up. You’re doing great.
Louie Villalobos is Gannett’s director of opinion. You can find him hugging his Republican friends and family members as they cope with being in charge.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Trump presidency hit some snags. He needs help. | Opinion
