Loyalty seems to be a one-way street in Washington these days. Supporters vow to serve at the pleasure of the president, to march behind, or stand beside, a man that demands loyalty.
I think we know what the agenda items are. Accomplishing those is going to be hard with a small majority. The upshot is that Trump's prime-time address is unlikely to make more than a ripple in the congressional agenda over the coming months. It's the reality, Republicans acknowledged Wednesday, of life in Washington right now: Despite its trifecta, the party's legislative ambitions are being hemmed in by its barely-there majorities.
Among Trump's guests is Saige Blair. Blair is at the center of a lawsuit involving allegations that Virginia school officials made decisions about Blair's well-being and gender identity without informing the then-14-year-old's parents.
The interchamber tensions between Democrats are becoming a regular feature of funding fights in the second Trump term. Lawmakers, strategists and voters alike exploded in anger last March when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and a handful of colleagues allowed a spending package to move forward amid the Elon Musk-led DOGE assault on federal agencies. In November, tempers again flared when a handful of Senate Democrats joined with Republicans to end a record 43-day shutdown.
