Opinion: Trump vs. the G.O.P.

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, July 25, 2017 [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [David Leonhardt] David Leonhardt Op-Ed Columnist Consider the last few days of news: • Congress [defies]( the president and comes to a bipartisan deal on Russia sanctions. • The president’s son-in-law is [quizzed]( about his Russia ties as part of a Senate investigation. • The Senate [struggles]( to find the votes to pass a “motion to proceed” on health care, the president’s top legislative priority, let alone an actual bill. • The president upbraids members of his own party for [much]( [of]( [the]( [above](. • And polling continues to show that the president’s base of national support has [shrunk](. This sure doesn’t sound like a situation in which Republicans are standing resolutely behind President Trump, does it? Congressional Republicans may not have done as much to confront Trump as many people — including me — would like. But it’s also clear that Republican support for the president has started to crack. That’s the subject of my [column]( for today, and I hope you’ll read it. As I say, the story is far from over. It’s possible that Congress will tack back toward the president on health care, Russia and other subjects. But there are many steps between here and there. If the subject interests you, I also recommend following [Sarah Binder]( [Jonathan Bernstein]( and [Matt Glassman]( on Twitter, and I recommend Josh Barro’s [take]( on this subject in Business Insider. On the news: The Senate faces a big procedural vote on health care today, on that motion to proceed. Either way, the vote isn’t the end of the story. If the measure fails, the push to undo Obamacare isn’t dead. And if it succeeds, the Senate [still may not]( be able to find 51 votes for any one actual bill. But failure would certainly be the better outcome for anyone who cares about the quality of medical coverage in this country. The Senate is rushing the vote, Edwin Park [explains]( to “hide its impact.” Indeed, [the secrecy]( of the entire process is fairly shocking. In The Times, Stuart Thompson and Vikas Bajaj [explain]( how the bill could cost senators in the next election. As for Jared Kushner’s pre-written testimony yesterday, Jennifer Rubin [writes]( in The Washington Post that his best defense is pretty weak — namely, that he is a naif in over his head. Editorial [The Democrats’ Agenda, and the Art of the Possible]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD For the moment, Democrats’ proposals to help the middle class would need Republican cooperation. They should seek it. Op-Ed Columnist [How Cool Works in America Today]( By DAVID BROOKS Wokeness shares cool’s rebel posture, but it is the opposite of cool in certain respects. Op-Ed Columnist [G.O.P. Support for Trump Is Starting to Crack]( By DAVID LEONHARDT Members of Congress are defending him much less than is typical for a new president, and his level of popular support is declining. Op-Ed Contributor [Poland Turns Away From Democracy, Thanks to the U.S.]( By SLAWOMIR SIERAKOWSKI President Trump’s visit emboldened the Law and Justice party to attempt a judicial coup, and Washington has been a mere bystander since. Op-Ed Contributor [This Is Not the Mooch I Know]( By WILLIAM D. COHAN Trump’s new communications director is a good man. Will Trump let him stay that way? ADVERTISEMENT [How the Health Bill Could Cost Senators in the Next Election]( By VIKAS BAJAJ AND STUART A. THOMPSON Republicans could eliminate coverage for millions of their own constituents, creating a cohort of uninsured voters in the next election Leonardo Santamaria [Contributing Op-Ed Writer]( [I Don’t Want to Watch Slavery Fan Fiction]( By ROXANE GAY When people create alternate histories, they are largely replicating a history we already know. Editorial [A Terrorism Trial in the Federal Courts]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD The “bad dudes” aren’t being sent to Guantánamo Bay after all. Editorial [Poland Pulls Back From the Brink, for Now]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD An attack on judicial independence is vetoed, but the ruling party is still trying to destroy democracy. Op-Ed Contributor [Let’s Talk About Suicide]( By ROBERT RIGO Why don’t we speak openly about mental illness? Vietnam ‘67 [The Body Escort]( By GEORGE MASTERS I came back from two years with the Marines in Vietnam. But my last assignment was the hardest. Op-Ed Contributor [A Dangerous Idea: Eliminating the Chemical Safety Board]( By STEVE EARLY The tiny federal agency investigates industrial fires and explosions, and its findings can prevent future accidents. Fixes [The Tasmanian Hep C Buyers’ Club]( By SOPHIE COUSINS An innovative Australian takes a cue from early AIDS fighters to distribute generic new drugs that treat another potential killer, hepatitis C. HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [opinionnewsletter@nytimes.com](mailto:opinionnewsletter@nytimes.com?subject=Opinion%20Today%20Newsletter%20Feedback). ADVERTISEMENT On Campus [Why I Bring My Gun to School]( By ANTONIA OKAFOR There is a place for pro-Second Amendment black women in modern feminism. Letters [Pardons and a Trump-Putin Private Chat]( Readers are dismayed that a president might be able to pardon himself, and they speculate about what the two leaders discussed at the G-20 banquet. 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