Trump Threatens GOP Senators Who Reject His Budget Cuts Bill/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ morning Edition/ President Trump warned he may withhold endorsements from Republican senators opposing his $9.4 billion rescissions bill, including $1.1 billion in cuts to public media. Senators like Susan Collins and others resist defunding NPR, PBS, and global health programs. The Senate faces a July 18 deadline to vote, with the bill’s fate uncertain amid GOP divisions.
Trump Pressures GOP Senators On Budget Cuts Bill: Quick Looks
- Trump Threatens Endorsements: He demands GOP loyalty on $9.4 billion rescissions package.
- Public Media Targeted: $1.1 billion cut proposed for NPR, PBS, CPB.
- Collins Resists Cuts: Maine’s Susan Collins voices objections over health, AIDS funding.
- Senate GOP Split: Some senators seek amendments to preserve funding for public broadcasting.
- Critical Vote Looms: Senate vote must happen before July 18 deadline.
- Slim GOP Margin: Republicans can lose only three votes before VP breaks tie.
- House Re-Approval Needed: Senate changes would send bill back to House.
- Political Stakes High: Trump wields endorsements as leverage in GOP primaries.
Trump Threatens GOP Senators Who Reject His Budget Cuts Bill
Deep Look
President Donald Trump is dramatically increasing pressure on Republican senators, warning he will refuse to endorse those who fail to support his administration’s controversial push to claw back $9.4 billion in previously approved federal spending. In a fiery social media post on Thursday, Trump singled out the proposed $1.1 billion cut to public media as a personal priority, revealing how his influence over the Republican Party is once again shaping legislative battles in Washington.
“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together,” Trump declared online. “Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement.”
Trump’s message lands as the Senate heads into a contentious debate over the rescissions package, which aims to reduce the federal deficit by eliminating funds previously allocated by Congress. The package includes a diverse array of proposed cuts, from public media funding to global health programs—a range that has sparked resistance among some key GOP senators.
Leading the Republican skepticism is Maine Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee and faces re-election in 2026. Collins has voiced significant concern over the proposed rescissions, particularly the administration’s plans to cut funds for global AIDS prevention and other crucial health initiatives. During a private GOP conference meeting on Wednesday, Collins urged her colleagues to reconsider portions of the bill, warning of the consequences both at home and abroad.
“The impact of these cuts on critical health programs could be devastating,” Collins told her fellow senators, according to sources familiar with the meeting. “These are life-saving programs that have bipartisan support.”
Collins is not alone in her objections. A group of senators, including Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Mike Rounds of South Dakota, have also indicated they want the rescissions package amended to preserve funding for NPR and PBS stations. Public broadcasting, they argue, serves essential functions in their rural states, offering educational content and local news coverage that private media outlets often do not provide.
“It’s one thing to look for savings,” Murkowski told reporters Thursday. “But there’s a real cost to communities when you cut off public media that connects people to information.”
The Senate faces a tight timeline, with a deadline of July 18 to finalize the rescissions vote. Republicans hold a slim majority in the chamber and can afford to lose the support of only three senators before needing Vice President JD Vance to break a tie—a scenario that could expose sharp intra-party fractures.
Even if the Senate passes a modified version of the bill, the legislative path remains complicated. Any amendments would require fresh approval from the House of Representatives, a chamber already navigating its own divisions over government spending and the political fallout of cuts to popular programs.
Despite the looming obstacles, Trump appears determined to make the rescissions bill a defining test of Republican loyalty. His threat to withhold endorsements—a powerful weapon in modern GOP politics—underscores how deeply intertwined policy decisions and primary politics have become under his leadership. Trump’s endorsements have been instrumental in shaping Republican primaries in recent years, and many senators are keenly aware of the political risks of crossing him.
Some conservative senators remain fully aligned with the president’s demands. They argue the cuts are necessary to curb excessive government spending and demonstrate fiscal responsibility to voters ahead of the 2026 midterms.
“The American people want us to get our fiscal house in order,” said Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. “President Trump is right to demand these cuts.”
Yet other GOP lawmakers worry that slashing funding for public media or global health programs could alienate moderate voters and hand Democrats ammunition heading into future elections.
Outside Washington, advocacy groups have swiftly condemned Trump’s proposed cuts. Organizations supporting public broadcasting warn that eliminating funding for NPR, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would silence vital sources of news, educational programming, and cultural content—particularly in rural communities. Meanwhile, global health advocates fear reductions in AIDS prevention and other medical programs could reverse decades of progress in fighting deadly diseases worldwide.
“This is not the time to pull back,” said Jennifer Kates, senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Global health programs save lives and protect U.S. interests by preventing the spread of disease.”
As the Senate prepares for next week’s high-stakes vote, Republicans find themselves caught between a powerful president eager to flex his political influence and a range of policy concerns that could impact constituents back home. Whether Trump’s threat to withhold endorsements will be enough to unite the party—or deepen its divisions—remains one of the most consequential political questions facing the GOP in the weeks ahead.
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