Five Republicans who could buck Trump in 2017

[milestogo]

Trump’s biggest hurdles next year might not come from Democrats but from within his own party. With a narrow 52-seat majority in the Senate, the president-elect will need to keep Republicans unified if he wants to clear nominations and legislation through the upper chamber in the face of likely Democratic opposition.

Many Senate Republicans tepidly embraced Trump during the campaign, and a handful refused to endorse him altogether. Trump’s ability to get his agenda cleared through Congress will largely depend on whether he can get some of his biggest critics on his side.

Here are five Republicans who could buck Trump in 2017:

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine): Collins is one of the caucuses’ more moderate Republicans and will be crucial for getting Trump’s agenda through the upper chamber. The Maine Republican didn’t support Trump’s campaign, coming out early for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. She signaled for months that was uncomfortable with Trump’s campaign rhetoric and announced in August that she couldn’t support the real estate mogul because he “does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions.”

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.): The Arizona Republican appears most likely to break with Trump on foreign policy and the military, where McCain has substantial sway as Armed Services Committee chairman. The two were at odds from nearly the start of the presidential campaign, when Trump mocked McCain’s military service and years as a prisoner of war saying “I like people who weren’t captured.” McCain formally dropped his support for the real estate mogul in early October and has refused to answer questions about Trump for months—a policy he says he’ll change come Jan. 1.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): The Senate’s top Republican largely avoided weighing in on Trump’s slew of controversies, regularly declining to answer questions about his party’s standard bearer in 2016. But McConnell made headlines during his book tour for sharply criticizing the GOP nominee and denounced his 2005 comments about groping and kissing women without their consent. McConnell quickly demanded the real estate mogul take “full responsibility” for the leaked remarks. "As the father of three daughters, I strongly believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls everywhere, and take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape," he said at the time.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.): Paul ultimately backed Trump during the campaign—after ending his own failed White House bid—but he’s drawing early lines over some of the real estate moguls’ nominees. Paul, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, played hardball on the State Department, and is now threatening to block former U.N. ambassador John Bolton from taking the No. 2 spot.

Paul told ABC’s “This Week” that he is an “automatic no on Bolton,” who he called a “big cheerleader for the Iraq War” with a “naive understanding of the world.” Paul’s opposition would be enough to block Bolton from getting through the Foreign Relations Committee if every Democrat also votes against him. He also took aim the rest of Trump’s picks in his annual “Festivus” tweetstorm, quipping: “New administration is lookin good. Haven't seen this many billionaires in 1 place since I staked out Bilderbergs w/ Alex Jones. Good times."

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.): The Nebraska Republican has been a perennial critic of Trump, frequently comparing the 2016 White House race to a “dumpster fire” and spending months voicing concerns about his party’s standard bearer. In a Facebook letter directed at Trump supporters, he warned that the real estate mogul was too divisive and could ignore constitutional checks and balances aimed at preventing executive overreach.

“Have you noticed how Mr. Trump uses the word ‘Reign’ – like he thinks he’s running for King? It’s creepy, actually. Nebraskans are not looking for a king,”he said during the GOP presidential primary.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/311727-five-republicans-who-could-buck-trump-in-2017

[Blanks]

1. Any senator considering running for president...

In 2020 will be trying to make a name for themselves, once they smell blood in the water.

[LongTomH]

2. Oh, Bloody Hell!!!! McCain and McConnell are already geriatric cases!!!!

McTurtle will be 78 or 79 in 2020; McCain will be 84 - if he's still alive!!! Rand Paul is a libertarian looney.

Maybe one of the other two, maybe!

[Chasstev365]

3. Forget Colins

All talk, no action.

Here are the only 2 who COULD save us if they can convince a few others:

Lindsey Graham SC, and John McCain AZ

The rest of the GOP would look the other way even if there was video of Trump personally killing someone.

Having said that, I have very little hope.

[SCantiGOP]

4. Sure missed one on that list

Lindsay Graham. While he may align with Trump on a majority of issues, he is one of the few sitting Congressmen who stated that he did not vote for Trump. He is extremely critical of Trump on the issue of Russia, and has already pre-filed a bill to protect the Dreamers for deportation.

On edit: your post went up while I was typing the same thing you said. I think the best chance is for McCain and Graham to
lead the GOP opposition. One more vote for the defectors and we are at 51.

[Blue Shoes]

5. I wouldn't trust any of them as far as I could throw them.