In an astonishing development, the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate voted to defy Trump and overturn his declaration of a national emergency. This is the first time since 2016 that at least some Republican Senators have united with their Democratic counterparts to oppose Trump.
It is important not to over-stress the importance of the vote. First, Trump himself will doubtlessly veto the measure. Second, it is significant that most of the Republicans who sided with the Democrats were those who aren’t facing re-election in 2020–meaning, they won’t face the “fury of Trump,” or his supporters, in a year’s time.
That said, this is still an important development. For the very first time, there are signs that 45 can no longer automatically count on the support of his party. Let us hope that we will see more signs of independence — and common sense — among Republicans in future.
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