President Trump faces losing support from his base in the wake of his
decision Friday to sign a controversial and much-derided $1.3 trillion
spending bill -- over not only its size but its failure to fund his
campaign promise of a wall on the U.S. southern border.
Trump briefly threatened to veto the legislation, voted
through the House and Senate on Thursday and early Friday in order to
avoid a government shutdown.
Conservatives balked at the $1.3 trillion price tag, as
well as the failure to promote Republican causes such as the defunding
of Planned Parenthood and the funding of the wall on the southern border
in particular. While the legislation served up $1.6 billion for border
security, it mainly consisted of repairs and additions to already
existing fencing.
Congressional leaders and the White House noted that it
increased funding for the military, infrastructure and also grants to
fight the nation's opioid epidemic.
Trump blindsided White House aides and lawmakers when
he tweeted Friday morning that he was considering vetoing the
legislation over its failure to include funding for the border wall as
well as a fix for the expiring Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals program that grants protection to illegal immigrants brought to
the country as children.
But Trump eventually signed the mammoth legislation
reluctantly, saying in remarks to the press with other members of the
administration that, in order to secure a necessary increase in military
spending, he had to give money to Democratic projects that he derided
as a "wasted sum of money."
"It's not right, and it's very bad for our country," he said.
But he said military spending was vital and it was that concern that overrode his thoughts about vetoing the legislation.
TRUMP SIGNS $1.3 TRILLION SPENDING BILL, DESPITE EARLIER THREAT TO VETO
“Therefore, as a matter of national security, I've
signed this omnibus budget bill. There are a lot of things I’m unhappy
about in this bill…But I say to Congress, I will never sign another bill
like this again. I'm not going to do it again,” he said.
Yet despite his distancing himself from it, the very act of him signing it enraged his base. A White House official told Axios that the reaction to the signing "is the hardest I've ever seen the base turn on Trump over anything."
"A big reason why people voted for him was because of
his apparent willingness to stand up to the entrenched political class
in both parties," the official said. "Voters wanted a fighter who
wouldn't back down to 'the swamp' like a 'typical politician.'"
Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who in 2016 wrote a book called “In Trump we Trust,” told Fox News Radio’s Tom Shillue that the ramifications will hit the GOP in the midterms, particularly in the House.
“The House will definitely flip, why would anyone vote Republican?” she said.
On Twitter, she also congratulated “President Schumer”
and agreed with Trump that he won’t sign another bill like that, but
added that was because a Democratic House would impeach him.
"The president was really sold a bill of goods here,"
Christopher Ruddy, Newsmax's chief executive, who is regularly in touch
with Trump, told The Washington Post.
"Conservatives look at this omnibus bill and say, 'This is not why they
elected Donald Trump. This is not a good bill for him to sign.' "
Commentator Michelle Malkin said on "Fox and Friends"
that she was “disgusted” with the legislation, but aimed most of her
anger at congressional leadership.
“I’m beyond disappointed; I’m disgusted,” Malkin said.
“I’m disgusted with the so-called GOP leadership. This falls squarely on
the shoulders of Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. It is business as
usual.”
Even in Congress, there was significant opposition to
the legislation. The conservative House Freedom Caucus had encouraged
Trump ahead of the signing to veto the bill, while budget hawk Sen. Rand
Paul, R-Ky., repeatedly slammed the bill, later saying: “Maybe the GOP
holding hands Democrats isn’t such a great idea.”
The Trump team continued to point the blame at
Congress, with Trump campaign advisor Katrina Pierson tweeting back to
Paul: “It would be more helpful to change out your leadership instead of
doing everything possible to keep them in place.”
But other advisers were less supportive of the president.
“This was the worst day since the 2016 win. Signing
that Bush/Obama budget was a kick in the gut,” a conservative advisor to
Trump, but not in the White House, told Fox News. “I still love this
President but, wow, hard to swallow this bitter pill. Funded Planned
Parenthood and not a wall. What did we fight so hard for?”