Trump calls on GOP to end ‘grandstanding’, pass budget

File Source: KTVN

Former President Donald Trump issued a pointed directive to House Republicans on Tuesday night, urging them to fall in line and support the party’s budget resolution.

“They have to do this. We have to get there,” Mr. Trump said during a keynote address at the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner. “I think we are there. We had a great meeting today.”

Still, his message came with a sharp warning to party holdouts who remain skeptical of the deal hammered out on Capitol Hill.

“But just in case there are a couple of Republicans out there, you just gotta get there. Close your eyes and get there. It’s a phenomenal bill. Stop grandstanding. Just stop grandstanding,” he said.

Trump’s remarks followed a strategy session at the White House with House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, as GOP leaders scramble to lock down support ahead of a tight vote. With only a razor-thin majority, Republicans can’t afford more than three defections — and as of Tuesday, more than that number remained uncommitted or opposed.

The push highlights the deepening divide within the Republican conference, as conservative hardliners continue to demand deeper spending cuts while leadership eyes a deal that can pass both chambers and avoid a shutdown.