Professor Richardson’s daily missive from a few days back reminded me of some speculation I had when the Senate abruptly passed the legislation ordering the release of the Epstein Files:
The strong vote in favor came after President Donald J. Trump, who had tried to kill the release of the Epstein files for months, on Sunday night suddenly reversed course. After failing to stop dozens of House Republicans from giving their support to the measure, he said he didn’t care if it passed, starting a stampede of Republicans eager to be on the popular side of the issue.
House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) evidently went along with this strategy because he expected Senate majority leader John Thune (R-SD) to stall the measure with amendments. If it finally passed nonetheless, the House would have to take it up again and could delay it further. After the House passed the bill, Johnson told reporters he would “insist upon” amendments.
But Thune was not inclined to play along. Johnson has been openly doing Trump’s bidding and jamming the Senate to force it to comply, and Thune appears to have had enough. Before the measure went to the Senate, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer asked for unanimous consent to pass the measure when it arrived. The Senate agreed, and thus the bill passed the Senate automatically by a unanimous vote in favor.
The difference between Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) and Speaker Johnson (R-LA)? Johnson is a creature of President Trump, having taken office in 2017.. Thune?
Thune has sat in the Senate since 2005.
Thune has watched Trump, and before him Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, ruin the GOP. From McConnell he learned, I suspect, the lesson of the foolishness of blind allegiance, as McConnell gave Trump everything he could, most importantly SCOTUS seats, and in return … he’s being run out of the Senate by Trump in dishonor.
Under Trump, the GOP has become a haven for grifters and power-grubbers, unserious people, all led by a convict motivated entirely by the objective of the accumulation of wealth. The Majority Leader is, no doubt, watching. And remembering times when the Party was honorable.
My guess is that Senator Thune, presented with Trump’s back, is plunging a knife into it. Johnson will continue to be a weak Speaker, dependent on Trump; Thune, on the other hand, may strike out on his own and leave Trump with less influence than he thinks.
Far less influence.
