Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said Tuesday that President Trump's hold on congressional Republicans is slipping, pointing to a palpable sense of frustration on Capitol Hill after the party's bruising midterm losses.
"The animosity aimed at the White House right now is real," Mulvaney told NewsNation, noting he had spoken with several senators in recent days. "I don't think the Republicans on the Hill are taking their marching orders from Donald Trump nearly the same as they were two weeks ago. The Senate is going to do what they want to do."
The remarks come as Democrats ride a wave of victories that will hand them control of both chambers in January. The party flipped seats in Texas, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, and South Carolina, while Republicans held their ground in Florida. According to Decision Desk HQ, Democrats are projected to hold 54 Senate seats once two undecided races are called, and they will take a House majority.
The "blue wave" has emboldened Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans to target top administration officials, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emerging as a prime focus. Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of abusing his authority in military operations during the second Trump administration, including the war in Iran.
Mulvaney said Hegseth is high on the list of officials Democrats want to remove. "I have Hegseth on my top three scalps that Democrats want to claim sometime in the next Congress," he said.
On Tuesday, House Republicans voted 211-204 to table the impeachment measure, effectively shelving it until the new Congress convenes. But Mulvaney cautioned that the reprieve would be short-lived. "It's good news that he dodged the bullet here, but face it, after January 3rd, the numbers in that chamber are going to be dramatically different," he said.
The shifting dynamics underscore the challenges facing the White House as it prepares for a divided government. Trump's recent appointment of Stephen Miller as chief of staff, a move that signals an uncompromising approach, may further strain relations with moderate Republicans seeking to rebuild the party's appeal.
Mulvaney's assessment aligns with growing concerns among GOP strategists that the president's influence is waning. The internal friction is likely to complicate legislative priorities, as Senate Republicans show greater independence from the White House agenda.
With Democrats poised to control the agenda, the coming months will test whether Trump can maintain his sway over the party's base while navigating a hostile Congress. As Miller's new role takes shape, the administration's strategy for dealing with the new political reality remains unclear.
