Republicans Adjust Approach to Trump Amid Concerns

<p>Top White House officials and elected Republicans have indicated that they are no longer attempting to persuade President Trump on various matters. A longtime adviser stated, "Why bother? He's the boss."</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>For nearly a decade, Republicans have complied with Trump's demands, believing his instincts were superior. However, many now express a lack of trust in those instincts while feeling it is futile to oppose his wishes.</p><p><strong>Examples of Trump's demands include:</strong></p><ul><li>Starting a war without a clear strategy.</li><li>Posting a cartoon depicting himself in a Trump-branded jersey over Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.</li><li>Organizing a Republican midterm convention that some candidates are reluctant to attend.</li><li>Speaking at the convention on both nights.</li><li>Creating advertisements featuring himself despite low popularity.</li><li>Making the midterms a referendum on himself.</li><li>Focusing on White House renovations.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're hearing: </strong>Many aides and confidants feel overwhelmed by Trump, acknowledging they cannot stop him and have ceased attempts to do so. They increasingly accommodate his preferences. A donor remarked, "He's an 80-year-old man who did it his way. What he wants, he gets." White House insiders claim there is some structure to Trump's actions, though they did not provide examples of him resisting impulses.</p><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Republicans are concerned about retaining their House majority in the upcoming midterms and are apprehensive about the Senate. Regardless of the election results, Trump is expected to be a lame duck shortly after Election Day. On November 4, attention will shift to the 2028 race and potential Democratic leadership changes.</p><p><strong>Trump, according to a top adviser, is not a lame duck: </strong>"Discount Trump at your peril. He wields enormous power in the party, in politics, and culturally. Anyone who thinks he's going to retreat into the shadows is either stupid or has bad political instincts."</p><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>Trump's associates believe they will continue to be influenced by him rather than break away. An adviser stated, "He's going to remain the dominant political figure even after his term ends, and everybody knows it."</p><p><em>Axios' Marc Caputo contributed reporting from Dallas.</em></p>