Why Are the Deepest Red State 'Republicans' the Most Opposed to Trump’s Cabinet and Agenda?

Sarah Arnold reporting for Townhall  

Republican Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) is raising concerns that certain establishment GOP lawmakers may quietly undermine President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda despite publicly claiming to support it. As Trump gears up for another four years in the White House, Roy fears some of his colleagues, particularly those with strong ties to the D.C. establishment, will work behind the scenes to thwart his policies or derail his efforts. The Texas representative’s warnings reflect a broader anxiety within the GOP about the deepening divide between the incoming Trump Administration and those deep inside the swamp. In addition to Roy, others also fear these Republicans may prioritize their political futures. 

During a discussion with Todd Starnes, Roy accused some congressional Republicans of secretly undermining Trump’s agenda and stonewalling his cabinet picks. 

“I think that Republicans in Congress are going to give lip service to backing the President's agenda, and behind the scenes, they're going to be stonewalling it. Unless some of us can kick them right in the rear end and make them deliver,” Roy said. 

He said his Washington colleagues have already made excuses for why Trump cannot follow through on his campaign promises, such as enacting the largest deportation of illegal immigrants the U.S. has seen. 

“Truth is, you’re already hearing excuses,” Roy continued. “Well, we don’t have 60 votes in the Senate. You’re already hearing some of my colleagues say, ‘Well, we can’t do, you know, broad mass deportations,’ which, by the way, I think effectively just call it what it is, repatriation.”

This comes when Republicans have openly expressed their opposition to Trump’s cabinet picks. 

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) recently said she has “questions” about Trump’s defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth. She is “concerned about the allegations against him and his treatment of women.” Despite admitting she had never met with Hegseth, sat down with him, or heard him speak at length, she said this.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)  also wouldn’t confirm that she’s a “yes” to Hegseth, another setback for the former Fox News host. Reports claim Ernst was eyeing the Pentagon post before Hegseth was tapped in. 

Sen.-elect John Curtis (R-Utah) has also been critical of some of Trump’s cabinet picks, especially the incoming president’s first pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). Curtis said he expects the more controversial nominees to “resolve themselves”—similar to what happened with Gaetz. 

Sean Parnell, best known for his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2022, pointed out several reasons why someone in the GOP would oppose Trump’s cabinet appointees. 

“Why it that the states that are the most Trumpy, that are the most republican and conservative Idaho, South Dakota, Kansas, Mississippi, why are they the ones that are seemingly the most hesitant about giving Trump his cabinet?” Charlie Kirk asked Parnell. 

Parnell pointed out that those deep red states have moderate senators, suggesting that they have their own interests. 

“I've heard whispers of, of, you know, other senators have interests in the military-industrial complex threat, Pete Hegseth as a threat to those interests,” he said. “And because those senators have ties to those organizations, they don't want Pete because they want those organizations to be intact. Other senators, you know, probably wanted to be a Secretary of Defense themselves. So maybe that's why they oppose.”