FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Trump lashes out at 'weak and tired' Republican congressional leadership

Trump lashes out at 'weak and tired' Republican congressional leadership

President Donald Trump on Tuesday lashed out at fellow Republicans who lead his party on Capitol Hill both for not fully embracing his unfounded claims of election fraud and for allowing an override of his veto of a $741 billion defense authorization bill to advance.

"WE NEED NEW & ENERGETIC REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP. This can not stand," Trump said in a string of morning tweets in which he continued to air grievances about the election, including baseless claims of fraud in Pennsylvania, one of the battleground states Trump lost to President-elect Joe Biden.

Trump did not single out any Republican leaders by name, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., appeared to be among those he was targeting. Two weeks ago, McConnell recognized Biden as the president-elect. He has also discouraged GOP senators from participating in challenges to the electoral college votes when Congress meets to certify the results next week.

"Can you imagine if the Republicans stole a Presidential Election from the Democrats - All hell would break out," Trump said in one of his tweets, which Twitter noted made "disputed" claims about election fraud.

"Republican leadership only wants the path of least resistance," Trump continued. "Our leaders (not me, of course!) are pathetic. They only know how to lose! P.S. I got MANY Senators..and Congressmen/Congresswomen Elected. I do believe they forgot!"

Earlier, Trump also took aim at members of his own party, protesting the House's vote on Monday to override his veto of the defense bill. The 322-87 vote was comfortably more than the two-thirds of the House that was needed to pass the measure.

"Weak and tired Republican 'leadership' will allow the bad Defense Bill to pass," Trump wrote.

"Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW! Senate should not approve NDAA until fixed!!!" Trump added, referring to the bill by its title, the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual measure authorizing funds for everything from overseas military operations to pay increases for service members.

A few hours after Trump's tweet, McConnell signaled during a speech on the Senate floor that his chamber would override Trump's veto Wednesday.

"Soon this important legislation will be passed into law," McConnell said. "I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation one more time when we vote tomorrow."

Trump made good on repeated threats to veto the legislation last week, when he sent the bill back to Congress with a laundry list of objections.

Among the president's complaints were that it ordered the Pentagon to change the names of military installations commemorating Confederate generals; restricted his ability to pull U.S. troops out of Germany, South Korea and Afghanistan; and did not repeal an unrelated law giving liability protections to technology companies.

Later Tuesday, Trump sought to raise the stakes for Senate Republicans as they consider increasing stimulus payments to eligible recipients from $600 to $2,000, as he has advocated.

"Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2000 payments ASAP," he tweeted shortly after McConnell declined to hold an immediate vote on the issue. "$600 IS NOT ENOUGH!"

Trump also again urged Republicans to address the law related to liability protections for technology companies and said his fellow party members should not "let the Democrats steal the Presidential Election."

"Get tough!" Trump urged.

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