Conservatives are concerned that President Donald Trump might abandon them in order to cut deals with the new Democratic majority in the House, The Washington Post is reporting.
The administration is going to be faced with how to deal with immigration and healthcare – both a focus of the midterm campaign, the newspaper noted. And a compromise could be tempting for Trump, in light of the House takeover by Democrats.
“He has carried the ball as effectively as anybody for the right, but the reality is, there is not a deep philosophical bent there,” said Ed Rollins, co-chairman of the pro-Trump Great America super PAC. “He’s always been about getting what you can get.”
Trump considers many of the conservatives in congressional leadership positions to be useful allies.
“You know, he goes down as the greatest leader, in my opinion, in history,” Trump said of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
And Trump's track record so far does give him some leeway in dealing with conservatives, the newspaper said.
“He’s able to move a bit because he is set with the conservatives for the next 10 years because he picked (Vice President Mike) Pence and put two justices on the court,” said John Brabender, a Republican consultant.
Despite the conservatives’ current concern with Trump, most still sing his praises.
“There wasn’t some deal with us, some collective choice. Trump won,” said anti-tax activist Grover Norquist. “And Trump has been more (Ronald) Reagan than Reagan on judges, tax and regulatory policy. That’s what matters.”
And the Washington Examiner noted Trump will be able to appeal to his base by getting the Senate to approve his appointment of conservative judges.
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