Republican Sen. James Lankford said his party has been pushing back against Donald Trump’s policies—even if no one ever sees it.
Lankford told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that the GOP’s new tactic to uphold the U.S. mantra of “checks and balances” was speaking to the White House behind the scenes. The revelation came after a CNN poll showed that 58 percent of Americans disapproved of Republicans’ near-total control of all branches of government.
“There’s two ways to be able to handle checks and balances,” Lankford said. “One is to go out and do big press conferences and meetings, and the other ones that go privately to people to be able to sit down and say, ‘How do we actually solve this? Let’s actually do it.’”
The Oklahoma Republican said Republicans have found the secret approach more effective, explaining why they don’t publicly contradict the vengeful Trump in public.
“You’ll find a lot of Republicans that are—when they have concerns, when they have questions, they’re going to administration officials behind the scenes saying, ‘Let me give you some ideas,’” Lankford said, praising the administration’s willingness to engage.
The White House did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
Most Republican lawmakers have studiously avoided any of public criticism of Trump since he took office, instead opting for effusive praise whenever possible.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News he didn’t believe Congress had “ceded any authority” to Trump and that the president wasn’t engaged in any “executive overreach.”
But if he had, Johnson said, he’d bring it up with Trump directly.
“I don’t think he’s crossed the line yet,” Johnson said. “If he does, or if he did, you know, I would address it with him personally as a concern, as a partner, and explain that I think it’s been overdone.”
Lankford told CNN on Thursday that those who were concerned about a fractured checks-and-balances system still had one immediate recourse: the courts.
“The real rapid check and balance, whether Republican or Democrat, is always the court,” Lankford said. “That’s the rapid check and balance. When Congress actually does something, the president still has to sign it. So the check and balance to the executive branch is always the judicial branch first.”
The judicial branch has also become a major Trump target. The president has frequently attacked judges who issue rulings that block his political and policy objectives, and his administration has threatened judges with prosecution if it believes they’re obstructing its goals. This past week, the FBI arrested of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday the White House wouldn’t rule out arresting federal judges or Supreme Court justices.
“Anyone who is breaking the law or obstructing federal law enforcement officials is putting themselves at risk of being prosecuted, absolutely,” Leavitt said.
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