Trump Faces Internal GOP Frustration, Slipping Polls as Midterms Loom

As President Donald Trump prepared Tuesday’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, cracks within his own party have become more visible ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Republicans on Capitol Hill are poised to publicly applaud Trump’s speech, but in recent months a series of policy votes and public statements have revealed growing unease among some members of the House GOP.

In recent roll calls, at least half a dozen House Republicans crossed party lines to vote against Trump on issues ranging from tariffs to war powers and the release of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, signaling at least occasional defections that diverge from strict party unity.

“Sometimes those votes won’t make a difference, and it makes it easier to cast that vote as a little bit of a protest vote,” GOP strategist Todd Belt told CBS News. “But for some of them, they’re seeing a weakened president in terms of his poll numbers, so it’s easier for them to speak out against him,” he added, describing a dynamic where lawmakers weigh loyalty against political risk.

That shift comes against the backdrop of public opinion that has grown less favorable toward Trump’s agenda. A CNN poll released ahead of the address found just 32% of Americans believe Trump has the right priorities, and his overall approval hovered around 36%, with 61% saying his policies will move the country in the wrong direction — “the president’s most negative reading on that question to date,” according to reporting.

Trump’s team has signaled that the speech will frame Tuesday night as a celebration, not only of policy but of the nation’s 250th anniversary. White House officials have described the theme as “America at 250: Strong, Prosperous and Respected,” and aides told reporters the address will spotlight economic issues and affordability for families, while also defending controversial policies on immigration and border enforcement.

But that messaging comes amid skepticism from lawmakers and voters alike. Some GOP members have privately expressed frustration with elements of the White House’s economic and immigration agenda, arguing that parts of it “defy common sense or what is traditionally conservative,” according to a lawmaker quoted anonymously in coverage of House Republican sentiment.

Meanwhile, at least 30 lawmakers are expected to skip Trump’s address entirely, instead attending a rival event hosted by Democratic groups on the National Mall. Those plans reflect partisan divisions surrounding the speech, even as Democrats prepare their official response, to be delivered by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger.

The current dynamic stands in contrast to a year ago, when Mr. Trump addressed a joint session of Congress fresh off his return to the White House and was met with widespread Republican endorsement of a unified agenda.

At that moment, lawmakers from across GOP factions touted a mandate and projected cohesion on policy moves that followed, in marked difference to recent months. Many of those early supporters have since become more selective in their public backing, reflecting some lawmakers’ unease with aspects of the administration’s direction..

That tension was visible in January, when Mr. Trump narrowly avoided a formal rebuke after two House Republicans voted with Democrats on a resolution aimed at blocking his authority to deploy troops to Venezuela following the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. Another vote on war powers involving Iran is expected in the coming days as some Republicans continue to press for stronger congressional oversight.

Featured image by J. Scott Applewhite/ AP Photo