This is an adapted excerpt from the Dec. 15 episode of “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.”
A lot of Donald Trump’s power has to do with the perception that he is powerful — that he is unstoppable, that everybody will bend the knee. But once the appearance of unstoppability is broken, he becomes more vulnerable.
That aura of invincibility was dealt a huge blow last week when Republicans in Indiana firmly rejected Trump’s redistricting push. State lawmakers refused to cave to his pressure campaign and voted with Democrats against a proposed congressional map that would have given Republicans an advantage in the state ahead of next year’s midterms.
That is something we haven’t seen before in the Trump era: collective action against the president from members of his own party.
It’s no secret that Republicans in Washington are coming up on a tough election. Trump’s approval rating is at a record low, and he’s refusing to pivot from some of his most unpopular policies — like tariffs and the administration’s brutal immigration crackdown.
It’s very easy for Trump to pick off one or two representatives who buck him, but when they stand shoulder to shoulder, we see what they can accomplish.
According to a new AP-NORC poll, just 36% of Americans approve of the job he is doing as president. When it comes to the economy and immigration, only 31% and 38% of voters, respectively, have a favorable view of the president’s actions.
A normal politician would look at those numbers and pivot. But not Trump.
This is the dilemma that Republicans have. They are stuck with Trump. As he always does, he will demand absolute loyalty. But he’s going to take them into a place they don’t necessarily want to be.
That’s why what happened in Indiana is so important. Republicans in D.C. should learn from their fellow lawmakers. It’s very easy for Trump to pick off one or two representatives who buck him, but when they stand shoulder to shoulder, we see what they can accomplish.
We’re already starting to see trickles of that in Congress. Republicans publicly broke with Trump over the Epstein files, and in recent days he’s received backlash from members of his own party over his reaction to the brutal death of actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife.
Now, we’ve been through this before. We know how powerful Trump’s hold on the Republican Party is. But we are getting these whiffs, this sense that there’s a little bit of blood in the water.
Some Republicans may see this as a moment to carve their own way and separate themselves from the White House. That’s dangerous for Trump.
Allison Detzel contributed.
Charlie Sykes is an MS NOW contributor and the author of the newsletter "To the Contrary."