Trump Presses GOP Senators to Back Cuts
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social Thursday night and made a firm demand that he will not support any Republican senator who opposes his proposal to cut nine point four billion dollars from the federal budget. He wrote that any senator who allows public broadcasting to continue will lose his backing and endorsement.
He cast public television and radio as worse than major cable news networks. His statement came ahead of a Senate vote expected next week on a rescissions bill that would lock in a portion of the Department of Government Efficiency cuts.
Trump named the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as a key target. He also called for deep reductions in foreign aid programs. In his view those funds serve no useful purpose and get delivered to the wrong recipients. He said senators must choose where they stand on his plan or face the consequences.
Stakes for Vulnerable Senators
Several Senate Republicans have voiced concern over the plan. Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska asked for amendments that would spare funding for AIDS treatment in Africa and public radio stations. Collins argued that cutting these programs would harm people who rely on essential services. Schmitt of Missouri also spoke against a full cut. Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Mike Rounds of South Dakota joined the group that wants to preserve certain parts of the budget.
Republican leaders face a narrow margin in the chamber. They can lose support from only three senators before Vice President JD Vance must break a tie. The group of holdouts holds enough sway to delay the measure or force changes before it reaches final passage. Senate rules require that the rescissions bill clear voter opposition by July eighteenth or it will simply lapse and have no effect.
Broader Fiscal Agenda
This rescissions measure forms a smaller piece of Trump’s overall budget vision for fiscal year twenty twenty six. That plan calls for slashing non‑defense domestic spending by nearly one quarter. It would cut funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health by close to forty percent and reduce the National Science Foundation budget by more than half.
Earlier this year, Congress approved roughly one trillion dollars in cuts to Medicaid that affect almost eighty million people, according to the National Education Association. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the proposals as reckless and warned that key agencies would lack the funds to meet their basic duties.
Trump counters that deep cuts can rein in waste and strengthen national security. He frames his push as a fight against rapid spending growth that he believes will hurt the country. He argues that lawmakers who side with higher spending will fail to honor their oath to protect taxpayer dollars and will face political fallout.
Personal Analysis
It appears that Trump uses his endorsement power as a strategic lever to steer the Senate toward his desired budget cuts. This tactic may succeed in drawing unified support among those who value party unity. Yet it may also create fractures among Republicans who represent states that benefit from the very programs under threat. The move shifts the debate from a simple budget measure to a test of loyalty that could reshape relationships within the party.
Ultimately, the question remains whether lawmakers will vote based on the needs of their constituents or based on fear of losing a high‑profile endorsement. Their choice will set the tone for how much leverage the former president can hold over budget policy in future sessions.
Sources: zerohedge.com
