Politico reporter Jonathan Martin challenged the claim made by House Republicans that President-elect Donald Trump “dragged” the Senate into the majority, as tensions rise within the GOP leading up to Trump’s second term.
The dispute highlights a deeper rift between Senate and House Republicans, especially regarding the sequencing of Trump’s legislative agenda. Meanwhile, Trump is working to push controversial Cabinet picks through the Senate.
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) sparked the debate with a tweet on Thursday, directed at GOP senators who were hesitant to confirm Trump’s nominees. “Trump took a bullet to the head and then dragged you into the majority,” Burlison wrote on X.
“The American people sent a mandate and the American people are watching.” Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) supported Burlison’s sentiment, calling it “spot on.” However, Martin was quick to refute this claim on Sunday. While he acknowledged that “Trump should get credit for helping pick up” Pennsylvania for Republicans, he argued that if Trump’s political influence were stronger, his nominees “would be a lock.”
Martin pointed out that despite Trump’s assertion of an “unprecedented and powerful mandate” following his 2024 victory, his margins in both raw votes and percentages were “small by historical standards, even for the past quarter century,” according to PolitiFact.
Martin further emphasized the realities of Senate races, stating, “Anyone [with] an undergrad level of knowledge of politics grasps the polarization of Senate races.” His comments underline the fact that the Senate’s political landscape is increasingly divided, with the dynamics of Trump’s influence not necessarily translating into sweeping victories for his nominees.