On Politics

Wed Feb 14 2024

Sudiksha Kochi | Congress, Campaigns and Democracy Reporter

@KochiSudiksha

Hello OnPolitics readers! As former President Donald Trump fights for a second term in the White House, it looks like he's trying to consolidate his already immense power within the Republican Party.

Trump is challenging aid to Ukraine, killing an immigration bill, installing his allies in the Republican National Committee and trying to run former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley out of the GOP race, USA TODAY's David Jackson and Riley Beggin reported.

Here's a look at how Trump is tightening his grip.

💲 Shaping aid to Ukraine: The Senate Tuesday passed a bill containing $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and others – despite Trump's efforts to change the package. The former president called on lawmakers to provide the assistance as a loan, and he successfully convinced even some staunch supporters of foreign aid.

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❌ Killing the border deal: Trump also successfully tanked a bipartisan border agreement that would have been attached to the foreign aid bill that passed in the Senate early Tuesday morning. He was lobbying members of Congress to oppose the legislation weeks in advance, calling the deal a "great gift to the Democrats."

🐘 New RNC leadership? Trump endorsed North Carolina Republican state Republican Party chair Michael Whatley to be the Republican National Committee's next chairman and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to be the committee's co-chair. These endorsements came despite the fact that Ronna McDaniel, the current RNC chair, hasn't announced her resignation.