Even hardline Republicans and far-right conservatives are alternately criticizing President Donald Trump and his henchman Elon Musk and begging them not to implement tariffs and freeze federal funds that will harm their states.

Trump has used executive orders against diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to freeze all federally funded projects, while Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – which is not a real federal executive department – have infiltrated government agencies’ payment, personnel, and IT systems to cut finances and staff. While both have been challenged by Democrats in lawsuits as illegal and unconstitutional, the power grab threatens to harm conservatives and sink the economies of red states.

Related

Trump admin allows homeless shelters to discriminate against trans women because “the Lord” wants it
HUD Secretary Scott Turner said that “the Lord established from the beginning” that trans women should be housed with men in homeless shelters.

Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), whose state has received $518 million in active grants from the National Institutes of Health, recently said she would like the Trump administration to take a ‘smart, targeted approach’ to cuts so as to ‘not hinder lifesaving, groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions’ such as the University of Alabama at Birmingham,” Raw Story reported.

Stay connected to your community

Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) reportedly asked Trump to let Food for Peace shipments currently sitting in U.S. ports resume, even as Musk has gutted the USAID program that oversees it, calling many of its programs “criminal.”

In a recent op-ed for The Louisville Courier-Journal, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expressed concern about Trump’s constant threats to add tariffs to foreign imports.

“Blanket tariffs make it more expensive to do business in America, driving up costs for consumers across the board,” McConnell wrote. “Broad-based tariffs could have long-term consequences right in our backyard.”

He then noted that his home state’s 75,000 family farms sell their crops globally, its auto industry relies on global supply chains, and its bourbon producers make 95% of the world’s supply, making them all susceptible to international retaliation and disruption over a trade war.

Indeed, The New York Times recently reported that Trump’s freeze on energy and climate spending is already harming red states with renewable energy industries.

Rep. Michael Rulli (R-OH) said of the $415 million in federal funding allotted for his district, “There might be some things in there that are worth saving. That’s going to take a little time to figure out.”

A lobbyist, Bob Keefe of the nonpartisan business group E2, told The New York Times, “We just met with more than a dozen key Republican offices, and I can tell you nobody wants to kill jobs. They don’t want to have to go back and face constituents and tell them that the factory I just cut the ribbon on might not be coming. That’s going to put them in a hard place.”

Antisemitic white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who dined with Trump in November 2022, recently criticized Musk for complaining that unelected bureaucrats are running the government.

In a recent video, Fuentes asked, “And what are you doing[, Musk]? And when were you elected?”

Even The Wall Street Journal‘s usually conservative editorial board recently criticized Republican senators who voted for Trump’s Cabinet nominees, even those “who favor policies most GOP Senators oppose.”

“[The White House needed its] MAGA media machine to threaten GOP senators who might have opposed Mr. Trump’s other nominees.” They specifically criticized the anti-vaccination views of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Promising disruption is easy,” the editorial board concluded. “The test of a cabinet is whether it delivers results.”

Other GOP lawmakers have expressed concern that Trump will continue to ignore court rulings against his hostile government takeover.

“The White House should comply with court rulings. The Congress should comply,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), according to The Hill. “We have a judicial system. If you don’t like the ruling, you can appeal the ruling and you can follow that through. But we are a nation of laws and it is not necessarily for you or I to be the final arbiter here. This is why we entrust the judiciary with this responsibility.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) also urged Trump to respect the courts, saying, “Do I believe that the courts have a very valid role and need to be listened to and heard in that process? The answer is yes.”

Privately, Republican lawmakers have anonymously expressed fear of opposing Trump and Musk, especially since Musk has publicly pledged to fund opponents of any GOP legislator who doesn’t support their agenda.

“That’s one of the reasons why you see people who are close to an election…. voting for certain nominees,” an anonymous GOP legislator told The Hill. “The White House hasn’t been too subtle about that. I think they’ve been fairly threatening.”

Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.