Less than a month into 2026, President Trump’s grip on his party seems to have slipped a little more.
Here’s why.
After another fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal agents in Minneapolis last weekend, many Republican officials — most of whom rarely, if ever, criticize the president — publicly objected to the spiraling situation in Minnesota, where the Trump administration has orchestrated an immigration crackdown.
They included an ideologically diverse slate of Republican candidates running in key races this year, like Senator Susan Collins of Maine, Senator Jon Husted of Ohio, who offered a nuanced statement but urged a thorough and objective investigation, and Representative Mike Lawler of New York, from a competitive House district. Republicans from safely red states, like Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, expressed grave concerns, and even Gov. Greg Abbott, the Texas conservative, suggested that the White House should “recalibrate” its strategy.
The polls are showing new fissures, too. A sizable and growing number of Republicans disapprove of the hard-line tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a small but notable share also express discontent with the president. And Republicans increasingly say that G.O.P. members of Congress are not obligated to support Trump if they disagree with him, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
In perhaps the biggest tell that Trump himself sensed danger, he ultimately seemed to listen this week to allies who were pushing for changes on the ground in Minneapolis (sparking backlash, in turn, from some on the right — more on them below).
As my colleagues who cover the White House wrote, it amounted to “a tacit acknowledgment that he was losing control of a situation that posed one of the most serious political threats of his second administration.”
Taken together, we’re seeing perhaps the broadest display of Republican dissent in Trump’s second term. And just as strikingly, Republicans are finding themselves in the rare position of playing defense on immigration, as my colleagues Reid Epstein and Lisa Lerer wrote this week.
“The reason Democrats lost on immigration is because Biden was deliberately allowing a chaotic situation to happen on the Southwest border, and that spilled over into communities,” said Brad Todd, a veteran Republican strategist. “The danger for the administration is that people begin to think that they are allowing a chaotic situation with immigration enforcement to exist in communities.”
Of course, there is plenty of risk for Democratic leaders in those cities and states, he said. But, Todd added: “Republicans absolutely have to have a decided advantage on immigration. We’re losing that. There’s no path to victory in November without a decided advantage on it. That’s going to require some adjustment.”
Now for the caveats.
Yes, Trump remains the dominant force in Republican politics. Yes, his approval rating among Republicans remains high. Yes, many Republican primary contests boil down to one question: Which candidate can bear-hug Trump most tightly? And yes, immigration politics are complicated — for all of the consternation about ICE, a recent New York Times/Siena poll found that roughly half of voters supported Trump’s deportations and his handling of the border with Mexico.
This political situation is extremely fluid and unpredictable, and any Republican backlash could certainly be temporary. But for now, it is clear that the shocking scenes in Minneapolis have broken through to the public — and prompted Republicans who are used to swallowing their misgivings to speak out instead.
“The video footage from now a second incident has shifted this from just another ideological, partisan debate to a potential pattern,” said Robert Blizzard, a Republican pollster.
But Democrats, he warned, could overplay the moment, especially if candidates lean into “Abolish ICE” messaging (something many Democrats hope their party avoids).
“Calling for the end of ICE reinforces a soft-on-crime theme that could hurt Democrats in suburban and rural America,” he said. “If the Democrats want to make 2026 all about illegal immigration — good luck.”
The interview
Amid the crisis in Minneapolis, Democratic governors are promising to deliver accountability.
It’s Gov. Andy Beshear’s job to elect a few more of them.
Trump Administration: Live Updates
Updated
- Some Republicans lament the spending deal Trump has blessed.
- A federal judge rules that the Energy Department’s secret panel on climate science was unlawful.
- Trump threatens to impose tariffs on any country that delivers oil to Cuba. That means Mexico.
For the latest in our interview series with ambitious Democrats, I talked with Beshear — a Kentuckian, the new chair of the Democratic Governors Association and a potential presidential candidate — about the 2026 landscape, his croissant order and who should run in 2028.
Here are excerpts from our conversation last month, edited and condensed (with a cameo from my colleague Tyler Pager, who was there for the interview):
Katie Glueck: What do you see as your party’s most urgent challenge in 2026?
Andy Beshear: To convince the American people that we are more committed to restoring the American Dream than the Republican Party.
KG: Your party’s biggest opportunity in 2026?
AB: To pick up governor’s seats all over the country.
KG: What’s the most significant way that Trump has changed America?
AB: My biggest concern is the division that he sows in everything that he does, making neighbors turn against neighbors, when my faith tells me you’re supposed to love your neighbor and that everyone is your neighbor.
KG: What is the single most important thing the Democratic Party should stand for?
AB: We should stand for a better life for all Americans, which is that American Dream — that if you’re willing to work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead.
KG: What do you consider your hometown? And if we were to go there tomorrow, what’s the one restaurant we must visit?
AB: My current hometown is Frankfort. I love a lot of the restaurants there, and I’m about to make somebody really mad. I’m going to give you a breakfast place. It’s called Andy’s. I’m the other Andy while I’m there. It is less sweets and more breads, but it is quite tasty, and I will get the ham and cheese croissant.
KG: What is your workout routine?
AB: I do three miles on the treadmill every morning.
KG: Run or walk?
AB: I do a little bit of both. Then I have a rowing machine and try to do some other things in between.
Tyler Pager: Do you know the 12-3-30 workout trend?
AB: I don’t. (Note to readers: it’s a treadmill workout.)
TP: It’s big on TikTok.
AB: I did not get my workout trend from TikTok.
KG: Last lightning-round question. Name — and please do name names — one person you would like to see run for president in 2028.
AB: I’d like to see JD Vance run so we can beat him as badly as possible.
KG: Can you name one person on your side of the aisle?
AB: I look forward to it being a Democratic governor.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“What a humiliating surrender.”
That was Tim Pool, a well-known MAGA podcaster, responding to news this week that a federal judge in Minneapolis had ordered the ICE director to appear in court.
He and other right-wing influencers, not usually ones to criticize the president, have sounded defeatist notes about Minneapolis, with some activists urging Trump not to soften his commitment to mass deportations.
TAKE OUR QUIZ
This question comes from a recent article in The Times. Click an answer to see if you’re right. (The link will be free.)
A celebrity this week suggested they had received a Trump “gold card,” the expedited visa offered to those willing to pay $1 million. Who was it?
Taylor Robinson and Ama Sarpomaa contributed reporting.
Katie Glueck is a Times national political reporter.
The post Republicans Start to Fracture Over Immigration Enforcement appeared first on New York Times.
