Navigating Turmoil: GOP Faces Intense Divisions in Trump's Second Term as Shutdown Crisis Looms

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The Republican Party and RNC are navigating intense internal tensions amid President Trump's second term, with a historic 43-day government shutdown stretching into its fifth week as of Friday, marking the longest in U.S. history despite GOP control of Congress and the White House. This gridlock stems from failed negotiations over spending and border security, sidelining key legislation like ACA tax credit extensions, where Republican moderates defied party leaders to force a vote, highlighting fractures between Trump's hardline base and pragmatists. The 119th Congress wrapped its first year with mixed results: record Senate votes at 659 and swift cabinet confirmations, but only 70 bills passed, the lowest productivity in decades, exacerbated by the filibuster that Senate Majority Leader John Thune refuses to scrap despite Trump's push.

Trump remains dominant, issuing a Christmas message touting achievements while slamming the "Radical Left," and his administration notched wins like FBI headquarters closure announced by Director Kash Patel and aggressive ICE operations under the Laken Riley Act, arresting over 17,500 criminal illegal immigrants. A Supreme Court ruling cleared Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act if needed, bolstering his immigration crackdown. Yet pushback persists: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned early, citing legislative paralysis after nearly a year of GOP majority inaction. Trump's approval hovers in the low 40s, with Democrats gaining in special elections ahead of 2026 midterms, where party spending rules could shift per pending Supreme Court decisions.

RNC-aligned voices emphasize "America First" nationalism, prioritizing deportations and trade disruptions, but congressional retirements are piling up due to dysfunction and midterm fears. No major candidate announcements or RNC events dominated the holiday period, as focus stays on shutdown resolution and Trump's agenda resistance from within.

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