Trump personally threatens Republican senators who oppose Matt Gates

Trump is threatening Republican senators with Elon Musk's money if they vote against his attorney general nominee Matt Goetz.

ABC News reports.

Well, Trump's been working the phones. He's been putting pressure on Senate Republicans, even calling some of them directly. That's when JD Vance is on the field, too. He was on Capitol Hill yesterday, meeting with Senate Republicans with some.And a Trump tells us Officially, those meetings were productive, but we're also told that behind the scenes, Trump's team is playing hardball, and they're issuing ominous warnings to any Senate Republicans who might oppose his nominees.

One of Trump's advisers says that if you're on the wrong side of the vote, you're buying yourself a primary. And there's a guy named Elon Musk who's going to fund it added that the president should decide his cabinet. Nobody else.

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ABC News reports that Trump's team issued this warning to Republican senators for voting against Matt Goetz:

“If you're on the wrong side of the vote, you're getting ahead of yourself. That's all. And there's a guy named Elon Musk who's going to fund it.” pic.twitter.com/d1T3KbYAXr

— Republicans Against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) November 21, 2024

This fight is not about Matt Goetz. It's about power. Trump is trying to break the Senate Republicans and force them to give up their constitutional powers. Senate Republicans refuse to relinquish their power, so Trump has already reached the threat of the primaries.

The problem is that incumbent senators rarely lose, and even more rarely do they lose primaries. The primary threat works well in the House, but it's not very effective in the Senate. Also, the next election isn't until 2026, and Trump won't be gone until 2028, so time is on Senate Republicans' side.

The idea that the president is the only person who can decide his cabinet is not true. Trump is trying to rewrite the Constitution with threats and Elon Musk's money, and Matt Gates is his test case.

Jason is the editor-in-chief. He is also the White House Press Center and Congressional Correspondent at PoliticusUSA.Jason holds a BA in Political Science with a focus on public policy, specializing in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association