Trump declares war on Republican conservatives: 'We must fight them'

Thu Mar 30, 2017 | 12:06pm EDT

Trump declares war
on Republican conservatives: 'We must fight them'

http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources...=LYNXMPED2T10N

President Trump speaks at a Women's Empowerment Panel at the East Room of the White House.REUTERS/Carlos Barria


By Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON
President Donald Trump declared war on members of his own party on Thursday by threatening the political careers of conservative Republicans who helped torpedo healthcare legislation he backed, but was quickly told the lawmakers will not bow to "bullying."

In a Twitter post, Trump took aim at the Freedom Caucus, a bloc of the most conservative Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, indicating he would try to defeat them in next year's congressional elections if they continued to defy him.

"The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!" Trump said on Twitter.

Because Trump faces unified opposition by Democratic lawmakers, he cannot afford to lose many Republicans as he tries to get his legislative agenda through Congress, including healthcare, tax cuts and infrastructure spending. But keeping Freedom Caucus members happy without losing the votes of Republican moderates has proven tough.

Representative Justin Amash, a Freedom Caucus member from Michigan, shot back immediately at Trump in remarks outside the U.S. Capitol.

"Most people don't take well to being bullied," Amash told reporters. Asked if Trump's comments were constructive, Amash added: "It's constructive in fifth grade. It may allow a child to get his way, but that's not how our government works."

Since launching his presidential bid in 2015, Trump has shown little reluctance to assail fellow Republican political adversaries as well as Democrats, often in scathing terms.

Trump, a real estate magnate who touted his skills as a dealmaker in his White House campaign, previously accused Freedom Caucus lawmakers of snatching "defeat from the jaws of victory" with their opposition to Republican healthcare legislation he supported to replace Democratic former President Barack Obama's 2010 Affordable Care Act.

Trump went farther on Thursday. He equated members of his own party with the opposition Democrats, reflecting the extent to which he felt betrayed by the conservative lawmakers after the collapse of his first major legislative initiative.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters, "I understand the president's frustration," adding that he shared the frustration. Ryan said he was encouraging Republican lawmakers "to keep talking to one another."

The mistrust between the White House and hardline conservatives in Congress has called into question the next big item on Trump's agenda, sweeping tax cuts.

'BIG THINGS COMING'
Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus, offered a more measured response to Trump's remarks and avoided direct criticism of the president. Jordan said Republicans need to figure out how to work together to confront looming battles including the federal budget, appropriations and raising the U.S. debt ceiling.

"Look, I'm not here to assign blame to anyone," Jordan told the "Fox & Friends" program. "I actually think we better get this right because there are a lot of big things coming."

"We better get it right now, figure out how we're going to work together to do what we told the American people we were going to do, and not just pass a bill that no one supports."

Republicans presented a unified front against Obama but have struggled to come together and support specific legislative proposals since Trump took office in January.

Freedom Caucus members opposed the Trump-backed healthcare legislation in part because they said parts were too similar to the Obamacare law it was supposed to replace. The called age-based tax credits in the bill intended to help people buy medical insurance an unwise new federal entitlement.

Ryan said in an interview aired earlier on Thursday he feared the Republican Party is pushing the president toward the Democrats so Trump can make good on campaign promises on an overhaul of the healthcare system.

"I don't want that to happen," Ryan told the CBS program "This Morning" program, referring to Trump's offer to work with Democrats.

Some conservatives outside the Freedom Caucus bristled at Trump's remarks about the bloc.

"I think he's still just negotiating," said Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky conservative who is not in the Freedom Caucus but close to some of its members.

Asked if this was a productive strategy by Trump to get Freedom Caucus members on board, Massie said, "We're on his side. We just feel like he's been misled on Swampcare," referring to the healthcare legislation championed by Ryan.

Amash depicted Trump as now beholden to the Washington establishment.

“It didn't take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump,” Amash wrote on Twitter. "No shame, Mr. President. Almost everyone succumbs to the D.C. Establishment."

On Tuesday, Trump expressed optimism about getting healthcare legislation through Congress despite the failure of the House bill last Friday, telling a gathering of senators "that's such an easy one" and that he expected lawmakers to reach a deal "very quickly." Trump did not offer specifics, and White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Wednesday said Trump's comments came during a "light-hearted" moment.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-us...-idUSKBN1711UI

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Trump declares war
on Republican conservatives: 'We must fight them'

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Come on Mr. President, now is not the time to make enemies with the most conservative folks in the U.S. Congress. The majority of these folks are also the ones who don't support an illegal immigrant amnesty! Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I'm still of the opinion the Freedom Caucus saved the Republicans from making a serious misstep on the RINOcare bill.

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Originally Posted by MW

Come on Mr. President, now is not the time to make enemies with the most conservative folks in the U.S. Congress. The majority of these folks are also the ones who don't support an illegal immigrant amnesty! Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I'm still of the opinion the Freedom Caucus saved the Republicans from making a serious misstep on the RINOcare bill.

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I think you might be right.

This bill was too quickly conceived and not presented to the American people before being put to a vote. Why?

Hopefully, we do have some conservatives - but remember - a lot of people thought - and some still do - that George Bush was a conservative.

Surely we can see now, he was nothing of the sort.

He was, and still is if given the opportunity - a destroyer of this country.

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In a Twitter post, Trump took aim at the Freedom Caucus, a bloc of the most conservative Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, indicating he would try to defeat them in next year's congressional elections if they continued to defy him.

"The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!" Trump said on Twitter.

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Hmmm... "... hurt the entire Republican agenda ..."

I think we could use a good inventory as to what Trump sees the "entire Republican agenda" as being.

Where did Cruz, Rubio and McCain line up in this bill? And where do they fit in this "entire Republican agenda"?

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Originally Posted by pkskyali

Hmmm... "... hurt the entire Republican agenda ..."

I think we could use a good inventory as to what Trump sees the "entire Republican agenda" as being.

Where did Cruz, Rubio and McCain line up in this bill? And where do they fit in this "entire Republican agenda"?

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Unfortunately I'm left wondering if some of Trump's agenda isn't depending on the wrong people. For example, aligning with folks like Paul Ryan, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, etc. would probably be something, more times than not, that is not good for America and certainly doesn't support our agenda here at ALIPAC.

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Originally Posted by MW

Unfortunately I'm left wondering if some of Trump's agenda isn't depending on the wrong people. For example, aligning with folks like Paul Ryan, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, etc. would probably be something, more times than not, that is not good for America and certainly doesn't support our agenda here at ALIPAC.

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Do you feel the same way about Cruz and Rubio?

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Originally Posted by pkskyali

Do you feel the same way about Cruz and Rubio?

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Not sure I understand your meaning on this. Moreover, I can't help but think you're attempting to lead me into some sort of trap. While I share your contempt for Rubio, I don't see how Cruz is that much different than Trump on what he says he supports and doesn't support. They may share a few differences, but on the issue of immigration and border security they are probably about as close as any two people in the U.S. Congress. That is why there were so many immigration hawks supporting Cruz.

Ted Cruz urges border wall in immigration plan, ramps up attacks on Rubio

Published November 14, 2015

Ted Cruz unveiled a hard-line immigration plan on Friday that includes a border wall as he also ramped up attacks on rival Marco Rubio, saying the Florida senator stood "shoulder to shoulder" with lawmakers in support of a "massive amnesty plan" for illegal immigrants.

"Immigration is an issue that divides this country, it is an issue that divides the Republican Party," Cruz, a Texas senator, said during a rally with supporters in Orlando.

The Cruz plan includes everything from building a complete southern border wall to ending birthright citizenship to halting legal immigration when unemployment gets “unacceptably high.”
"I will complete the wall," Cruz vows in the plan, endorsing an objective that Donald Trump has been touting for months.

Shortly before releasing the document, Cruz zeroed in on Republican presidential rival Rubio, who is third in most national polls and narrowly ahead of Cruz.

"Listen, I like Marco a lot, he is charming and he's very well-liked in Washington," Cruz told Fox News right before hitting the stage. "But at the end of the day, where you stand on the issues speaks volumes."

Cruz accused Rubio of being the "point of the spear" for the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" senators who tried to come up with a comprehensive immigration policy in 2013 and failed. He accused Rubio of standing "shoulder to shoulder" with them.

"Where you stood up and lined up on the Gang of Eight bill was a time for choosing," Cruz later said during the rally. Without naming names, he blasted Republicans who support giving law-abiding illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. "There is nothing compassionate about a politician saying I am so compassionate I am willing to give away your jobs."

Rubio shot back on Friday. "On the immigration front, as I said, I'm puzzled and quite frankly surprised by Ted's attacks since Ted's position on immigration is not much different than mine," Rubio told reporters after his own speech Friday. "He's a supporter of legalizing people who are in this country illegally. If he's changed that position, then someone has a right to change his position on the issue but he should be clear about that."

When asked about this Friday, Cruz quipped, "I have to say, when I heard that I laughed out loud. I understand why he regrets having taken the position he did. To say we are on the same [page] on the immigration issue is to say my position and Barack Obama's position on health care is the same."

Cruz, meanwhile, said President Obama lacks the "will" to build a complete wall along the southern border and as president he would “build a wall that works," along with tripling the number of border agents, increasing surveillance, and adding biometric screening at entry checkpoints.

Further, Cruz says he would prevent illegal immigrants from receiving financial benefits and strengthen E-Verify for employers. He would suspend the issuance of all H-1B (employment) visas for 180 days for audit to ensure it is not being abused. He would also require that anyone coming in with an H-1B visa have an advanced degree, and prevent employers bringing these visa holders in from laying off domestic workers for a set period of time.

Cruz's position on high-skilled visas represents a complete about-face on one of his long-held immigration stances.

During the Senate immigration debate two years ago, the Texas senator was an outspoken advocate for increasing legal immigration, particularly for highly skilled immigrants. He called legal immigration "a pillar of our nation's heritage and strength" and introduced amendments to double the cap on legal immigration and increase the number of high-skilled immigrant visas by 500 percent.

Perhaps most radically in the new plan, Cruz says he would halt “any increases in legal immigration so long as American unemployment remains unacceptably high.” He would also enforce the “public-charge” doctrine, which would force immigrants to certify they are self-sufficient before they are given permission to live in the U.S. “The purpose of legal immigration should be to grow the economy, not displace American workers,” he said. “Under no circumstances should legal immigration levels be adjusted upwards so long as work-force participation rates remain below historical levels.”

He would also take steps to pass legislation or pursue a constitutional amendment to end “birthright citizenship,” which grants citizenship to any child born on U.S. soil.

Cruz also said he will “end President Obama’s illegal amnesty” by rescinding any executive orders allowing people who are here illegally to stay, and end any federal support for cities with so-called “sanctuary policies” which he said “make a mockery of our laws and endanger our citizens.”

On Syrian refugees, Cruz was unequivocal. "They need to be settled in the Middle East and majority Muslim countries," not in the U.S., where "it makes no sense whatsoever." He suggested that most of the refugees entering Europe from the war zones are "young men" and among them could be members of the Islamic State.

"It is lunacy to bring refugees into this country who may be terrorists trying to murder Americans," he said.

Fox News' Carl Cameron and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015...hip-halts.html

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Originally Posted by MW

Not sure I understand your meaning on this. Moreover, I can't help but think you're attempting to lead me into some sort of trap. While I share your contempt for Rubio, I don't see how Cruz is that much different than Trump on what he says he supports and doesn't support. They may share a few differences, but on the issue of immigration and border security they are probably about as close as any two people in the U.S. Congress. That is why there were so many immigration hawks supporting Cruz.

...

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The problem is that Cruz himself represents the absolute worse threat posed by illegal immigrants and our derelict system of citizenship. He is not a US citizen, not only that he was not even born in this country and he tried to become president.

Cruz does not represent a solution to our immigration problems, he is ​our immigration problems.

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Originally Posted by pkskyali

The problem is that Cruz himself represents the absolute worse threat posed by illegal immigrants and our derelict system of citizenship. He is not a US citizen, not only that he was not even born in this country and he tried to become president.

Cruz does not represent a solution to our immigration problems, he is ​our immigration problems.

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I figured you were trying to lure me into a trap. Just a thought, but perhaps it's time for you to get over this Cruz fixation and move on.

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Originally Posted by MW

I figured you were trying to lure me into a trap. Just a thought, but perhaps it's time for you to get over this Cruz fixation and move on.

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Wow. That's some thought. Thanks for sharing that.

Got any more?