Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

BumRushDaShow

(172,716 posts)
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 08:09 AM Feb 2026

Republicans fear Trump backlash could cost them Senate control

Source: The Hill

02/05/26 6:00 AM ET


Senate Republicans are concerned that a public backlash to President Trump’s handling of the economy and his aggressive deportation policies could give rise to a Democratic wave that not only sweeps away the House Republican majority, but also threatens their own three-seat majority.

The latest alarm bell rang over the weekend when Democratic candidate Taylor Rehmet won a state Senate seat in North Texas that President Trump won by 17 points in 2024, a stunning upset that GOP senators say should serve as a “wake-up call” heading into November. One GOP senator who attended a Tuesday briefing at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said concern over the approaching midterms “should be very, very high.”

The lawmaker called Saturday’s loss in the Texas special election “a wake-up call” and said Republican senators in battleground states, such as Sen. Susan Collins (R) in Maine and retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R) in North Carolina, have repeatedly warned Senate colleagues that the party faces a “deteriorating” political environment. “Senators are saying more and more loudly that they’re very, very concerned about the environment, that it’s continuing to deteriorate.

They say it over and over again,” the senator said of discussions within the GOP conference about “political headwinds” facing GOP candidates. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called Rehmet’s 14-point victory in Tarrant County despite being heavily outspent by his Republican opponent “a rough night.” “It underscores the need for Republican turnout in November,” he warned. Republicans think they have a good chance of keeping control of the upper chamber, but they’re not dismissing the possibility that a Democratic wave could grow so large that it sweeps Democrats to victory in Republican-leaning states like Ohio, Alaska or possibly Iowa.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5723418-republicans-fear-trump-backlash-could-cost-them-senate-control/

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Republicans fear Trump backlash could cost them Senate control (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Feb 2026 OP
Could? It should and at the very least because they are utter cowards and only act as his yes men. cstanleytech Feb 2026 #1
No GQP congress-critters showed up for hearing investigation(s)................ Lovie777 Feb 2026 #2
And they're afraid to stand up BaronChocula Feb 2026 #16
They're complicit in any and all of the tRump shit show augyboston Feb 2026 #3
They maga senate / house can pound sand..........literally .............they enabler(s) a traitor(s)........... turbinetree Feb 2026 #4
Cowards! Multichromatic Feb 2026 #5
I hope it costs them bowel control (nt) William Seger Feb 2026 #6
At the Prayer Breakfast homegirl Feb 2026 #7
They are welfare queens BaronChocula Feb 2026 #17
They have, as a political party angrychair Feb 2026 #8
I'm just hoping there will be a midterm... johnnyplankton Feb 2026 #9
How many wake up calls do they get? bucolic_frolic Feb 2026 #10
Ya think? Lulu KC Feb 2026 #11
Republicans don't deseve control of anything. mdbl Feb 2026 #12
The Republicans should blame themselves. BadgerMom Feb 2026 #13
The orange POS will not give up control easily. louis-t Feb 2026 #14
Maybe, just maybe, they should have removed Dump from office the first time sakabatou Feb 2026 #15
Good! They deserve it! Initech Feb 2026 #18
It had better... 2naSalit Feb 2026 #19
"If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it." Dulcinea Feb 2026 #20
They didn't though. maxsolomon Feb 2026 #21
Ossoff is in good shape. Dulcinea Feb 2026 #22
A fate the GOP deserves. Beartracks Feb 2026 #23

cstanleytech

(28,621 posts)
1. Could? It should and at the very least because they are utter cowards and only act as his yes men.
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 08:22 AM
Feb 2026

Lovie777

(23,896 posts)
2. No GQP congress-critters showed up for hearing investigation(s)................
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 08:30 AM
Feb 2026

concerning the deaths by the hands of ICE.

That in itself tells me fear outweighs the security, economics, healthcare, et al of the USA and her people.

BaronChocula

(4,815 posts)
16. And they're afraid to stand up
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 03:42 PM
Feb 2026

to someone they acknowledge is damaged goods. It makes no sense. This is the time for CYA, but they still won't dare. That's republican thinking for ya.

augyboston

(379 posts)
3. They're complicit in any and all of the tRump shit show
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 08:31 AM
Feb 2026

It isn't like the Senate Republicans were passive bystanders here.

They have been in lock step from the get go with all that Trump has done.

They OWN IT!

turbinetree

(27,742 posts)
4. They maga senate / house can pound sand..........literally .............they enabler(s) a traitor(s)...........
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 10:26 AM
Feb 2026

and that includes the US Supreme court maga 6, Judicial Watch, Federalist Society...................

Multichromatic

(220 posts)
5. Cowards!
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 10:50 AM
Feb 2026

They only care now and are scared because they might lose power. They didn't care about any of the destructive things Trump has been doing. They didn't care about Democracy being destroyed. They didn't want to curb Trumps power or remove him.

NOW Trumps behavior is a problem ONLY because they will lose power. Republicans are such weak, whiney, spineless, sycophants.

I would say I'm disgusted... but Republicans ALWAYS disgust me nowadays.

homegirl

(1,995 posts)
7. At the Prayer Breakfast
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 11:27 AM
Feb 2026

this morning Donald Trump reminded the participants that he had bailed out the American farmers after his tariffs sent their buyers elsewhere. Am I wrong when I say- he has turned American farmers into "welfare queens"? And that was (is) $12 BILLION DOLLARS of American taxpayer money that could support education, health and housing? And if the farmers lost money, surely they didn't pay taxes on earned profits!

angrychair

(12,545 posts)
8. They have, as a political party
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 12:00 PM
Feb 2026

Are likely already screwed. While this whole ice thing hasn't helped them, at all, one thing they have said, repeatedly, in public, that is going to be the one thing to bring it all down on them and that is the statements that appear to want to end the right to carry a gun in public.
That, more than anything, is why. It's core component of their political identity. To say the things they have said, it's the unforgivable sin. A bell they can't unring.

They are toast unless they stop elections all together which has other significant and long lasting implications.

bucolic_frolic

(55,987 posts)
10. How many wake up calls do they get?
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 01:57 PM
Feb 2026

So far they're fading from all the hatred they've vented. Now they're moderating their messaging. It's always about messaging. Can they sell it with lipstick?

mdbl

(8,798 posts)
12. Republicans don't deseve control of anything.
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 02:20 PM
Feb 2026

They have have abdicated their responsibility to our entire country.

BadgerMom

(3,441 posts)
13. The Republicans should blame themselves.
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 02:37 PM
Feb 2026

They are Trump; Trump is the Republican Party, including the elected Republican puppets in Congress. If you wanted to survive you should have separated yourselves. You didn’t. You don’t. You’ll lose. Walk your blame to the mirror and have a look, cowards.

louis-t

(24,658 posts)
14. The orange POS will not give up control easily.
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 03:15 PM
Feb 2026

He will tie himself in knots trying to cancel mid-terms, nationalize elections, throw out votes that are not for him, convince his worshipers that there is massive fraud and we don't need elections because everything is going so great, and create massive distractions including military attacks so he can say we are at war and can't have elections. I can see already that everything he is trying to do to distract is backfiring, everything he tries to control is being pulled further away. I see a major disaster if his goons show up at the Super Bowl and Olympics. It will not be pretty.

sakabatou

(46,406 posts)
15. Maybe, just maybe, they should have removed Dump from office the first time
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 03:31 PM
Feb 2026

But now repukes are stuck with shit on their face.

Initech

(109,360 posts)
18. Good! They deserve it!
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 04:30 PM
Feb 2026

And a whole lot of these assholes (Lindsay Graham and Markwayne Mullin, I'm looking in your direction) deserve long prison sentences for fellating the Orange Toddler and rubber stamping authoritarianism.

Dulcinea

(10,350 posts)
20. "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it."
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 05:32 PM
Feb 2026

--Sen. Lindsey Graham in 2016. How times change.

maxsolomon

(39,176 posts)
21. They didn't though.
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 06:19 PM
Feb 2026

They have to defend 23 seats, but I'd say only 7 are at any risk of flipping to a Dem.

Whereas I think there's only 1 Dem that could lose: Ossof in GA.

Dulcinea

(10,350 posts)
22. Ossoff is in good shape.
Thu Feb 5, 2026, 06:49 PM
Feb 2026

He's polling well & has plenty of money. There are lots of us here in GA who will work hard to get him reelected. There are 3 Repubs running, all of whom are dreadful, & the Fascist Felon hasn't endorsed any of them.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Republicans fear Trump ba...