Updated January 17, 2025 at 05:01 AM ET
When President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday, he'll have firm control over a Republican Party that controls both chambers of Congress.
Many of Trump's most vocal opponents within the party, like former Rep. Liz Cheney, are no longer in office. And other onetime campaign rivals, like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, are set for key roles in his administration.
With the GOP now lined up behind Trump, the most visible internecine squabbles playing out in Congress and in conservative circles are instead among those vying to prove their visions are the best implementation of Trump's MAGA agenda.
One of those fights erupted last month online around the topic of H-1B visas for skilled tech workers.
Trump backers like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who've been tasked by the president-elect to find ways to cut government spending, say Trump's "America First" agenda includes recruiting top talent from outside the country.
But some far-right activists argued, sometimes with racist and anti-immigrant rhetoric, that the visas are an example of why legal immigration needs to be drastically curbed to protect American workers. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is one voice railing against the visas.
Trump suspended the H-1B program during the pandemic in 2020, arguing that certain visa programs were being abused to bring in foreign workers at the expense of Americans. But his second term could be different, thanks in part to the increasing influence of Musk and other prominent tech leaders who want Trump's agenda to aid the industry. Trump's own view of H1-B visas is not exactly clear.
On Capitol Hill, one bill or two?
Inside the halls of Congress, the debate among Republicans is less about tackling Trump's political priorities and more the legislative logistics of making it happen.
House Republicans have a razor-thin majority, and its leaders favor one massive bill that would include everything from border security and energy policy to tax cuts and raising the debt ceiling.
Senate leaders prefer splitting his proposals into two bills, seeking to pass border legislation as soon as possible while finalizing complicated tax proposals will take longer.
And then there's Trump, who told reporters last week after a meeting with GOP lawmakers that the final outcome is more important than the process to get there. "We had a great meeting, there's great unity," he said. "Whether it's one-bill or two-bill, it's going to get done one way or the other."
A very Trumpy RNC
Elsewhere in Washington, D.C., there are more signs of Republicans rowing in one direction: Trump's.
The Senate this week began confirmation hearings for Trump's Cabinet nominees, with even controversial picks like Pete Hegseth for defense secretary getting broad GOP support.
No Republican senator has signaled opposition to any of the picks thus far, though some have indicated that nominees like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the proposed health secretary and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as the director of national intelligence will face more scrutiny throughout the process.
This week, the Republican National Committee will hold its winter meeting in Washington, D.C., where the party will tick through mundane business, like rules and budget discussions, as well as celebrate the party's 2024 election victories. While Republicans were outraised and outspent in the multibillion-dollar cycle, the RNC and Trump campaign's combined organizing efforts saw success in turning out new voters and making inroads with almost every demographic group, compared with Trump's 2020 defeat.
There will also be officer elections, with few notable changes after Trump pushed for new leadership of the party in March 2024.
His pick, former North Carolina Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley, is expected to stay on as the chair of the RNC. Current RNC Treasurer KC Crosbie of Kentucky has Trump's backing to serve as the new co-chair and succeeds his daughter-in-law Lara Trump.
That level of coordination and integration with Trump's political views has also filtered down to many state and local Republican parties, where a shift in leadership and membership since the last presidential election has activated a new crop of grassroots support and minimized the influence of those who are critical of his actions and message.
The continued alignment of the national and local party infrastructure with the vision of Trump as leader of the GOP is in contrast to the Democrats, where Democratic National Committee members will elect a new chair at their winter meeting at the end of the month.
Copyright 2025 NPR
