Is the GOP Starting to Defy Trump?

A couple of weeks ago, several Republican senators not only criticized President Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” in a private meeting but “screamed” at Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, according to Senator Ted Cruz on his podcast.“There were multiple senators yelling at the attorney general, saying this feels like self-dealing,” Cruz said, presumably echoing broader criticism that this fund seemed more like a slush fund for Trump’s allies and supporters. The administration has defended the fund as open to everyone. But Blanche announced this week that the administration was scrapping the plan. Whether the senators’ motivation was moral or simply practical—do they really need another headache before the midterms?—the headline is the same: Are Republicans finally pushing back on Trump?Beyond this fund, Senate Republicans also forced Trump to abandon his request for nearly $1 billion in ballroom security funding. And yesterday, House Republicans broke ranks to rebuke Trump’s war in Iran, directing him to withdraw U.S. forces or win approval from Congress.For most of his second term, Trump has successfully conveyed the message that defiance is not an option. In recent Republican primaries, Trump made clear that his standard was absolute loyalty. Candidates who did not meet his standard—Representative Thomas Massie, Senator Bill Cassidy, and Senator John Cornyn—all lost their primaries. Earlier this year, Trump allies poured millions into races against Indiana Republican state senators who had voted against a redistricting plan that would have favored Republicans. Most of them lost, too.The seeds of mutiny are detectable. But the president still has the strength and support to suppress them. So who is willing to take the risk, and who isn’t? On this week’s Radio Atlantic, I speak with Indiana State Senator Jim Buck, a pro-Trump Republican who did not vote for his stat