PHOENIX – As Congress struggles over a deal to keep the government open, the message from the beating heart of the Trump world is clear: Don’t compromise.
Speakers at a conference of conservative activists here this week said Donald Trump’s election victory should be a warning to those trying to block his agenda — both Republicans and Democrats — that they must yield.
“We don’t need partisanship now; we need hyper-partisanship now,” Steve Bannon, a former senior adviser to the Trump White House, told a raucous audience gathered at the Phoenix Convention Center for AmericaFest.
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Bannon mocked efforts by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to broker a bipartisan deal that could avoid a government shutdown, saying, “The conversation is over. President Trump came back from political death and, on the shoulders of the most powerful populist movement in the history of the world…a landslide victory.”
“We have nothing else to discuss,” he continued. “It’s just about implementing President Trump’s plan.”
Trump has said that “unity” will be the theme of his inaugural address on January 20. But those close to him sounded a triumphalist tone at the Turning Point USA event, signaling that the MAGA movement will not tolerate any concessions.
Another speaker, Donald Trump Jr., took aim at the 38 Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted against a spending measure that aligns with his father’s priorities. He urged grassroots activists to “put first” Republican lawmakers who are obstructing the president-elect’s policy goals.
In Washington, the younger Trump said: “It’s not just Democrats who are our enemies. It is a large majority of Republicans.”
“The fact that they have the ‘R’ next to their name doesn’t mean anything anymore,” he added. “Frankly, the Republican Party of a few years ago is gone. This is now the America First party. Donald Trump has in charge!”
Little gets done in Congress without bipartisan cooperation. If Trump comes to power, Republicans will have a slim majority in Congress. Under Senate rules, major legislation often requires 60 votes, a supermajority that isn’t possible without bipartisan support.
Trying to reach a compromise that would keep the government running, Johnson is looking for the elusive sweet spot that could appease Trump while still garnering enough votes to get on the ballot.
But after an election in which Trump carried each of the seven battleground states, the MAGA movement is in no mood to see Johnson bow out.
In a call-and-response, Bannon asked the crowd if Johnson should serve as speaker. “No!” people shouted.
“The political class has been infected with a malignant cancer,” he said. “That cancer is twofold, right?”
There are already questions about whether Johnson will be able to retain his position as chairman when the new Congress convenes next month. A number of conservatives on social media mentioned tech billionaire Elon Musk — who along with Trump this week helped undermine the bipartisan government funding bill — as a possible replacement. (Technically, the speaker does not have to be a sitting member of Congress.)
Audience members react as Bannon takes the stage at AmericaFest 2024 in Phoenix on Thursday.
Speakers at AmericaFest also called on the Senate to confirm Trump’s Cabinet picks. Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host and a Trump ally, described opponents of Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as director of national intelligence as threats to the nation.
Any Republican senator who votes against Gabbard is “an enemy of the United States.” Period,” Carlson said.
Gabbard is one of several Trump picks that have come under heavy scrutiny. Dozens of former national security officials signed a letter criticizing her selection, saying she lacked the necessary experience and questioning her ability to provide unbiased intelligence analysis.
When Gabbard ran for president as a Democrat in 2020, Russian state propaganda often portrayed her candidacy favorably while denigrating that of Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates at the time, according to research by the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a Philadelphia think tank.
Trump Jr. urged the crowd on Friday to pressure Congress to advance his father’s plans. He mentioned Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who has been weighing whether to support Pete Hegseth, the president-elect’s pick of Defense Secretary.
‘Call them. Call their offices. Apply that pressure,” Trump Jr. said. “Make them feel the pain. Joni Ernst kind of learned this the hard way. ETP. Education through pain.”
It is unclear who will take over the MAGA movement after Trump leaves office. Trump is limited to just one more term, although Bannon for his part was undeterred.
“Trump 2028!” he said as he ended his speech, drawing a roar of approval from the crowd.
Trump Jr. then took the stage.
“Well guys, I want to thank Steve for that pre-approval for 2028.”
More cheering.
“Just kidding, I’m kidding,” he said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
