Donald Trump focused on other matters this week as House Republicans struggled to pass measures related to surveillance powers, agricultural policy and immigration enforcement funding, with former officials saying the president’s own priorities are likely to increasingly draw him away from the legislative grind.
The chief executive was heavily focused on his White House ballroom project, King Charles III’s state visit and his conflict with Iran as Speaker Mike Johnson and other House leaders worked to secure votes to get the chamber moving again.
Largely absent were the kind of social media posts and calls to Republican holdouts from the president in other legislative stalemates. Still, by leaving the arm-twisting and negotiating to House GOP leaders, Trump showed his confidence in Speaker Mike Johnson, those sources said.
