GOP lawmakers

President Trump confronted Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana during a meeting with Republican senators, criticising his vote on a war powers resolution. The exchange exposed tensions within the party over Congress's authority to authorise military action, with lawmakers increasingly willing to break ranks on the issue despite pressure from the White House.

Former special counsel Jack Smith is testifying publicly before the Senate Judiciary Committee as Republican lawmakers examine the Justice Department investigations he led into Donald Trump. The hearings, covered live by major outlets, are expected to focus on how the classified documents and election interference cases were conducted. The appearance marks a rare public account from Smith, who brought two federal criminal cases against Trump.

Donald Trump has posted a series of attacks targeting a Republican congresswoman after she criticised his immigration policies, according to multiple news outlets. The public feud within the GOP highlights continuing tensions over the party's immigration stance and Trump's dominance over it. Details of the congresswoman's remarks and Trump's specific responses are still being reported.

A large-scale ICE enforcement operation has energised Republican efforts to permanently enshrine the Trump administration's immigration crackdown into federal law. GOP lawmakers are seeking to convert current enforcement policies into legislation so they survive beyond the present administration. The sweep has intensified the broader political debate over immigration enforcement in the United States.

President Donald Trump shared more than 13 social media posts attacking Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida on Saturday, escalating a feud that began after she broke with his immigration crackdown earlier this month. The volume of posts underscored Trump's willingness to target members of his own party over dissent on immigration policy, drawing attention to tensions within the GOP.

Several Republican senators facing competitive re-election contests are publicly distancing themselves from former President Trump on immigration enforcement, calling for ICE to coordinate with local police departments. The push marks a rare public break within the party on a core issue, with the lawmakers seeking positions that appeal to moderate voters in their states. The story is being carried across multiple local US news outlets.

President Donald Trump has publicly attacked Representative María Elvira Salazar, a Miami-area Republican, in posts on his Truth Social platform, deepening an escalating rift within the Florida GOP. The exchange between the president and the second-term congresswoman is drawing attention as a test of Trump's influence over Republican lawmakers in South Florida, where Salazar has built her own political brand.

A Republican lawmaker is calling for the United States to slow China's economic rise while ramping up America's own economy. The comment, made in remarks carried by Fox Business, frames economic policy in explicitly competitive terms with Beijing. It reflects a continued hardline consensus in the GOP on trade, industrial policy and competition with China.

The US Supreme Court has blocked for the third time a Republican-drawn congressional map in Missouri, halting its use while litigation continues. The repeated interventions keep the state's district lines in flux heading into upcoming elections, and the ruling is drawing attention from voting-rights advocates and Republican lawmakers who spar over partisan gerrymandering and the court's role in election map disputes.

Immigration enforcement operations by ICE are creating political headaches for vulnerable Republicans facing tough reelection battles. Politico reports that the raids and heightened deportation activity are forcing at-risk GOP lawmakers to navigate between backing the administration's hardline agenda and responding to constituents alarmed by arrests in their communities, complicating their survival strategies heading into the next election cycle.

The US Supreme Court has once again blocked the use of a Republican-favored congressional map in Missouri, preventing the state from implementing new district boundaries that had been advanced by GOP lawmakers. The repeated intervention comes amid an ongoing legal fight over redistricting in the state, with courts weighing whether the map complies with constitutional and voting-rights requirements.

Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas says he is stepping down from Congress, according to ABC News. The announcement removes a sitting GOP lawmaker from the House and adds to questions about the party's lineup heading into upcoming elections. Further details about his reasons or timing had not been reported in the initial coverage.

AlterNet reports that Republicans continue to defer to Donald Trump despite political costs, pointing to scientific research as offering an explanation for the pattern. The piece argues that psychological or social science findings can shed light on why GOP lawmakers so often backtrack or fall in line behind the former president, a dynamic that continues to shape American politics.

Congress has wrapped up its session on a muted note, with the New York Times reporting that Republicans are preparing for potential losses in the upcoming midterm elections. The paper frames the departure of lawmakers as lacking major accomplishments, while the GOP confronts an uncertain political climate heading into the vote.

Iowa's Republican members of Congress are facing new disagreements, according to a regional political roundup syndicated across multiple US local news outlets. The segment examines internal splits within the Iowa GOP delegation, though the specific issues dividing the lawmakers are not detailed in the available coverage. The piece is part of a recurring 'Inside Iowa Politics' series tracking state political developments.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who brought two federal indictments against Donald Trump in 2023, testified again before Congress on Tuesday, this time before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Coverage highlights a confident performance from Smith and an awkward moment for Republican questioners, with commentators framing the hearing as a test of the investigations into the now-president.

Republican lawmakers in Arizona pressed the state Land Department over its handling of solar leases on public trust land, arguing more consideration should be given to alternative uses. The hearing highlighted Republican concerns that large-scale solar development is being prioritized over grazing, mining and other traditional land uses, setting up a broader policy debate over how state lands should be managed as renewable energy projects expand.

Republicans representing deep-red districts are increasingly seeking distance from Donald Trump over his immigration enforcement agenda, particularly the role of ICE, according to the New York Times. The move reflects concern among GOP lawmakers that aggressive deportation tactics are becoming politically costly, even in areas that strongly backed Trump, as the 2026 midterm season intensifies.

White House border czar Tom Homan publicly defended US Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, challenging critics by asking them to name a single case where enforcement went too far. His comments come as a growing number of Republicans have voiced concern over the scale and tactics of the ICE crackdown, splitting the party on immigration enforcement.

Republican lawmakers in Arizona are pushing to change how state trust land is used, favouring housing development over large-scale solar projects. The proposal signals a shift in priorities at the legislature, where Republicans argue land should go to homes as the state grapples with housing costs. Critics are likely to see it as a setback for renewable energy expansion on public land.

Republican lawmakers in Arizona are pushing to shift how the state manages its trust lands, favoring residential development over large-scale solar projects. The proposal would make it easier to open state-owned parcels to homebuilding while limiting renewable energy leases. Supporters frame it as addressing the state's housing shortage; critics argue it works against Arizona's growing solar industry.

Senator Marsha Blackburn has filed a lawsuit against former special counsel Jack Smith over the obtaining of her phone records. The case centres on records gathered as part of Smith's investigations into Donald Trump, which Republicans have criticised as improper surveillance of lawmakers. The lawsuit escalates GOP efforts to scrutinise Smith's methods while Smith faces his own congressional inquiries.