{
  "id": 9226896,
  "title": "GOP breaking with an unpopular Trump",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/gop-breaking-with-an-unpopular-trump",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-22T23:58:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Axios",
    "slug": "axios",
    "url": "https://www.axios.com/2026/09/22/republicans-trump-congresss-iran-diesel"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Republican lawmakers are increasingly distancing themselves from President Trump on foreign policy and economic matters as they seek to prevent their party's majority from eroding. This shift is not a full-scale rebellion, but rather a gradual distancing from the president that indicates election anxiety among GOP members.\n\nNotably, Trump recently reversed his stance on a ban on diesel exports, a move that prompted Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Dan Sullivan, along with Reps. Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, to advocate for the measure. The ban aims to alleviate the soaring diesel costs impacting U.S. farmers and truckers. Hinson and Miller-Meeks are currently engaged in competitive Senate races.\n\nIn the Senate, Republican Senator Roger Wicker harshly criticized Trump for hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state dinner, urging the president to consider Xi's oppressive regime. Senator John Curtis also called for a subpoena to be issued to Trump Jr. regarding his alleged foreign business dealings involving a Russian oligarch. Florida Senator Rick Scott, a staunch Trump supporter, urged transparency in family ties to the presidency following reports on Trump Jr.'s wedding expenses.\n\nOn Iran, the Senate is set to vote on a war powers resolution, with Republican leadership uncertain about securing enough Republican votes for passage. House Democrats have passed a similar resolution as a rebuke to Trump's military campaign against Iran. Several Republican candidates, including Hinson and Michigan's Republican Senate hopeful Mike Rogers, have called for an end to the war.\n\nRepublican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar criticized Trump's immigration policies in a recent campaign ad, expressing sentiments echoed by her constituents. Senator John Cornyn admitted to losing his primary race due to opposition from Trump. In Iowa, Hinson skipped a rally organized by Vice President Kamala Harris, and Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds removed numerous references to Trump from his campaign website.",
  "summary": "Congressional Republicans are increasingly breaking with an unpopular president on foreign policy and pocketbook issues as they try to stop their majorities from slipping away. Why it matters: They aren't engaged in a full-scale revolt against President Trump, but some Republicans are testing new ways to distance themselves from him — a sign of their election anxiety. Driving the news: Trump —…",
  "key_points": [
    "GOP lawmakers distancing themselves from Trump on foreign policy and economics",
    "Senators and reps advocate for diesel export ban to aid farmers and truckers",
    "Republican senators criticize Trump for hosting Chinese President Xi at state dinner"
  ],
  "editors_take": "GOP lawmakers' growing distance from Trump on key issues signals their anxiety about retaining the party's majority and suggests that vulnerability may be translating into electoral calculations.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}