Trump steps up pressure campaign to avoid rare Congress reprimand on war powers
(CNN) President Donald Trump is working to tighten his grip on his party this week as he faces an unusual threat from Congress: an embarrassing rebuke of his military actions overseas.
On the cusp of a key Senate vote that would rein in Trump from further actions in Venezuela without Congress’ approval, an agitated Trump and his team are dialing up critical GOP lawmakers to pressure them to stay in line.
Already, one of the five GOP defectors — Sen. Josh Hawley — appears to be reconsidering his position just days after bucking Trump in a procedural vote on the matter. Hawley’s hesitation comes after several days of calls from Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and officials at the Department of Justice.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/13/politics/trump-pressure-campaign-war-powers