Trump's tightening grip on Republicans is hurting all of us | Opinion

What President Donald Trump says goes in the Republican Party, no matter what polling says about his popularity.

It’s a troubling reality we face as he continues to squash dissent among members of his own party, and by extension, muting political discourse.

On May 26, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn handily in the Republican primary for Cornyn's seat in the U.S. Senate. Trump endorsed Paxton on May 19, saying that Cornyn, the four-term incumbent whose votes were solidly conservative, “was not supportive of me when times were tough.” 

It’s the continuation of a pattern that has been emerging on the right in recent months: Trump, as the leader of the Republican Party, is slowly picking off members of the GOP who disagree with him so that he can have total control of the party. We’ve seen it happen in Indiana, Kentucky and Louisiana. Now, we’re witnessing it in Texas.

Democrats should be worried about the effect this is having on the other leading political party. Without a strong Republican Party full of a variety of opinions, bipartisanship will be a thing of the past, and our country will look more like an authoritarian regime with each passing day.

Trump is tightening his grip on Republicans

Trump has been on a winning streak in the 2026 midterm primary elections, despite the fact that his approval rating is at an all-time low. He is historically disliked by voters.

On May 16, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, lost his reelection bid while Rep. Julia Letlow, Trump’s preferred candidate, received the most votes. Three days later, Trump-endorsed House candidate Ed Gallrein bested Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky. 

Both Cassidy and Massie had earned the president’s ire over the course of his tenure in government. Cassidy voted to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol. Massie was instrumental in bringing the Jeffrey Epstein files to light.

While I’m not politically aligned with either congressman, I can admit that the Democrats needed Republicans willing to stand up to Trump in these instances.

Other Republicans who had disagreed with Trump took themselves out of the midterm elections entirely. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, announced in June that he would not be seeking reelection after disagreeing with Trump on provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican Party leader from Kentucky who has clashed with Trump on multiple occasions, also announced his plans to retire when his term ends in January.

Even though I disagree politically with these Republicans, I find it concerning that their voices will no longer be calling out the president’s tyranny from the right. Their dissent was necessary for the survival of the nation, giving a voice to those who don’t always agree with Trump and, on occasion, spearheading bipartisan legislation that benefited all Americans. With Trump getting his way, this could be a thing of the past. 

We need strong political parties. Not ones controlled by one person.

Trump may be shaping the Republican Party in his image, but he is by no means the only voice in the party. Polling shows that while the Make America Great Again movement still backs Trump, it only accounts for a portion of the GOP. Among all Republicans and across several polls, his popularity even within his party is decreasing.

These Republicans are losing representation in our government as Trump tears down the party that propelled him to the presidency. In the process, all of us face a dilemma.

Our nation is at its best when its leaders govern through bipartisan agreement. It’s how several pieces of key legislation were passed under former President Joe Biden, like the Respect for Marriage Act and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Even though neither of these laws went as far as progressives would have liked, it feels like a miracle they got passed at all.

If the United States doesn’t have two political parties with a diverse range of beliefs, we risk losing out on any work across the aisle.

I’m an avowed progressive. If anything, I should be hopeful that Paxton, who harbors significant baggage, will lose to Christian progressive James Talarico come November. Yet my fear is that Republicans, elevated by redrawn congressional districts, will once again prevail in Texas, leaving the U.S. Senate with even more Republicans who are scared to stand up to Trump.

As much as I’d prefer to see the Democrats in control of Congress, I know that it’s ultimately a good thing that we have a wide range of ideologies in this country.

As Democrats, we need Republicans who are unafraid of standing up for what is right, even when it goes against the leader of their party. Republican voters deserve to have representatives who see all facets of the party, not just the MAGA portion. With Paxton’s win, I worry that we are headed toward a nation where bipartisanship is nonexistent.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on Bluesky: @sarapequeno.bsky.social