As the 119th Congress began, a tense vote took place over its leadership. Speaker Mike Johnson faced opposition from two Freedom Caucus members: Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas. Johnson pulled them aside, and they entered an anteroom where Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina switched on her speakerphone. President-elect Donald Trump was on the line, having paused his golf game to speak. Trump made it clear that Johnson was his choice for the job. Minutes later, Norman and Self returned to the chamber and changed their votes.

This incident highlighted Trump's political power dynamics. Despite being seen as a maverick, Trump understands the importance of party unity in American politics. From his first term to now, he has worked to keep Republican lawmakers on his side. His inaugural vision relied heavily on executive action, but achieving campaign promises like tax cuts and immigration reform requires congressional support. His tactics from the first term offer insights into his future plans and a model that even Democrats might learn from.

Trump has always known that the best way to push policies through a divided Senate is through the reconciliation process, which blocks filibusters. This is why he aims to deliver his second-term goals through "one big, beautiful bill. " Although this strategy could fail, it shows his intention to govern as he did before: using a centralized, partisan framework that exploits all available mechanisms to work around Democrats and keep Republicans in line.

This isn't surprising. During his first term, despite talk of a GOP civil war, Trump mostly aligned with the party. Many of his successes involved core Republican agendas like deregulating workplaces and weakening unions. While he pushed harder on free trade and was softer on Russia, his positions on key issues like tax policy, reproductive rights, climate change, and immigration aligned with decades of Republican stances. This convinced many party members that he would advance their interests.

How Trump Kept the GOP On Board

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