GOP 'not afraid' of Trump as growing number standing up to him proves political mortality
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny on Saturday detailed a “list of Republicans standing up” to President Donald Trump, noting that while the president is making a big “adjustment” in strategy going into the 2026 midterms, the growing number of Republicans willing to take him to task is “something to keep an eye on.”
Zeleny was responding to CNN’s Manu Raju, who noted Trump “reminds” him of former President Joe Biden.
“There was so much Democratic frustration that Biden was not selling what they all the things they passed,” Raju explained.
“We have seen probably the biggest adjustment in Trump's strategy,” Zeleny said. “… He is now going out on the road, but not necessarily selling the agenda. He's talking about all sorts of things.”
“But I think one thing, as we end the year and look toward the next year, I've been surprised by Republicans are not as afraid of President Trump as they once were, which often happens with second term presidents,” Zeleny said. “They too, are mortal politically.”
“We'll see going into the new year,” the correspondent continued. “But we compiled a list of Republicans standing up to Trump, and it's much bigger than we might have suspected at the beginning of the year. So that's something to keep an eye on going into 2026. How many Republicans are willing to stand up to him? Even governors, for example, speaking out against redistricting and the National Guard. Obviously, the Indiana State Senate standing up to Trump on redistricting. But Marjorie Taylor Greene leaving an office in just a couple days, the retirements coming up.”
“So Republicans overall, maybe not as afraid of him as they once were,” he concluded.