Trump calls for new Republican leaders on Hill as Senate set to defy him on NDAA and stimulus checks

Donald Trump continued hammering congressional Republicans as his term winds down, calling for new GOP leadership as his party is poised to defy him on two major pieces of legislation.

Most House Republicans bucked the president on Monday by voting to both override his veto of a Pentagon policy measure and against his call for the amount of stimulus checks in a Covid relief bill he reluctantly signed to be increased from $600 to $2,000.

As the Senate prepares to take up the National Defense Authorisation Act override, most Republicans in that chamber are expected to nullify the veto. Republicans are expected to prevent Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s motion to pass the Covid checks increase bill – and it’s unclear is Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will even bring it to the floor for a recorded vote.

For that and other reasons, including his pre-Christmas statement that President-elect Joe Biden won the election, Mr Trump appears livid with Mr McConnell after they mostly were allied during the president’s term.

“WE NEED NEW & ENERGETIC REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP,” Mr Trump tweeted during a Tuesday morning Twitter rant repeating his unsupported claims of widespread voter fraud.

“Republican leadership only wants the path of least resistance,” he wrote, appearing again to apply pressure on GOP senators to join House Republicans next week in trying to challenge – and overturn – the Electoral College result in Mr Biden’s favor.

“Our leaders (not me, of course!) are pathetic. They only know how to lose!” the president wrote even though most Republican lawmakers supported an end-of-year spending measure, the Pentagon legislation, a Covid relief package tacked on to the appropriations bill, and likely will remain unified against the $2,000 checks bill.

All are considered victories by Mr McConnell and other top GOP leaders.

As Republicans pat themselves on the back for those perceived wins, Mr Trump fired off what amounted to a warning for the nearly two dozen Republican senators up for re-election in 2022 as they prepare to cast more big votes this week.

“P.S. I got MANY Senators......and Congressmen/Congresswomen Elected,” he tweeted. “I do believe they forgot!”

In reality, few can risk doing so.

Their votes could put them in Mr Trump’s crosshairs as he tries to establish himself as the party’s one and only kingmaker even after losing the Electoral College 306-232 to Mr Biden.  

The president remains wildly popular among Republican voters and just received 72.4m votes – more than any sitting chief executive in US history. That means, should be opt to remain engaged in politics after 20 January, he could select deeply conservative candidates to run against sitting Republican lawmakers in 2022 primaries.

His support for the larger stimulus checks, in a rare moment, aligns him with congressional Democrats like Speaker Nancy Pelosi and progressive icon Senator Bernie Sanders.

Mr Sanders has signalled he plans some legislative maneuvering when the Senate convenes around noon (EST) – with Mr Trump again golfing at one of his South Florida resorts during what the White House is calling a working holiday season vacation.

The Vermont independent told Politico on Monday he intends to hold up the NDAA veto override vote until Mr McConnell agrees to bring the $2,000 checks bill to a vote. But that threat has limits.

Due to Senate rules, all Mr Sanders can do is slow things down until what would be a 1 January override vote.

Mr McConnell has not signalled his intentions for the House-passed checks measure, but most members of his caucus oppose payments that large. The majority leader must consider whether he wants all of his members who will face voters in 2022 to be forced to vote against aid for Americans struggling due to no fault of their own.

But the Senate’s top Democrat, Mr Schumer, said on Monday night he intends to file a motion on Tuesday to pass the relief checks legislation immediately. That request, however is expected to be shot down, leaving it up to Mr McConnell how the Senate will finish its 2020 business.

When it does, the Republican Party will do so with two clear camps: One focused on the 2022 midterm elections, and a smaller one still devoted to Mr Trump.