Trump continues GOP pressure campaign on infrastructure

Former President Trump is ramping up his pressure campaign over a bipartisan infrastructure package, accusing Senate Republicans of “caving” to Democrats on the deal. 

In a statement — his latest in a series condemning the infrastructure deal — Trump said that the proposal amounted to a “‘carrot’ for a massive socialist expansion,” allowing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to bait Republicans into approving other parts of Democrats’ policy agenda. 

“Once they pass this bill out of the Senate, it will sit in the House until they get steamrolled by the biggest government expansion in a generation,” Trump said. “Tax increases on everyone, government run health care, more government run schools, amnesty for illegal immigrants, MASKS, and many more terrible socialist programs.” 

“Nancy Pelosi has said NO INFRASTRUCTURE until they get everything else,” he added.

Trump’s statement on Friday marked his latest attempt to pressure Republicans to abandon negotiations with Democrats on the infrastructure package, which would pump $1.2 trillion into the nation’s roads, bridges and public transit, among other things. 

Despite Trump’s firm opposition to the bipartisan deal, the Senate moved on Wednesday to take up the proposal, with 17 Republicans joining Democrats in voting to advance the debate. 

That vote was seen as a major win for President Biden, who had championed the negotiations. Throughout his presidency, Trump tried and failed to get a deal on revamping the nation’s infrastructure. 

Trump’s failure so far to convince members of his party to abandon the deal has raised questions about his influence over the GOP in his post-presidency. Trump also faced a blow to his endorsing power earlier this week when Susan Wright, his candidate of choice in a runoff election for Texas’s 6th Congressional District, lost to fellow Republican Jake Ellzey.

Still, Trump isn’t showing any signs of backing down from his efforts to kill the infrastructure deal. In his statement on Friday, he placed blame on so-called RINOs — Republicans in name only — for handing Democrats a win. 

“This is bad legislation and politically irresponsible,” he said. “The Democrats will use it to show they can get anything they want from the Republicans.”