Trump Reportedly Browbeating GOP Senators Into Flipping on War Powers Vote — And Has Already Scored One Reversal

President Donald Trump has been browbeating the Republican senators who voted to advance a bill limiting his war powers vis-a-vis Venezuela — and succeeded in flipping Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO).

On Tuesday, CNN’s Manu Raju reported that “Trump has been on phone with five Rs” — Hawley, Rand Paul (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Todd Young (R-IN) — who defied him to try to get them to vote NO on final passage of VZ war powers vote.” On Wednesday, Raju followed up by declaring that “Trump has succeeded in flipping Hawley.”

“Focus on Todd Young. If he flips, the war powers resolution will fail,” he advised.

Hawley explained his decision to reporters at the Capitol:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio just sent a letter responsive to my requests and concerns that certifies, number one, that the United States has no ground troops currently in Venezuela or operating in Venezuela. Number two, that if the administration sought to put ground troops into Venezuela, they would abide by the War Powers Act and they would come to Congress for congressional authorization. The secretary also told me directly that the administration will not put ground troops into Venezuela. They do not seek to occupy Venezuela.

MS NOW’s Ali Vitali told anchor Chris Jansing that Republican leadership would likely “do a point of order and ask to de-privilege this resolution. Effectively, that takes it off the fast track that it’s been moving along. And if that point of order passes, derails the war powers resolution.”

“It does seem that Republicans have a likely chance of being able to put this, what would have been a rebuke, in the rearview mirror, at least for now,” added Vitali.

After the initial vote that saw the five Republicans defect last week following the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, Trump called for their political heads.

“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again. This Vote greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief,” wrote the president on Truth Social. “In any event, and despite their ‘stupidity,’ the War Powers Act is Unconstitutional, totally violating Article II of the Constitution, as all Presidents, and their Departments of Justice, have determined before me. Nevertheless, a more important Senate Vote will be taking place next week on this very subject.”

Watch above via MS NOW.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!