House Republican leaders kept the vote open well into the night, twisting arms and applying pressure to advance President Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill.”
It wasn’t about legislative horse-trading or last-minute policy concessions. There were none.
The message was simple: Get on board, or get on the enemies list.
And in the end, all but one Republican caved.
The final tally wasn’t just a legislative win for Trump. It was a resounding affirmation of the political culture he has imposed on his party—and increasingly, the country. Loyalty is demanded. Dissent is punished. Policy barely matters.
It wasn’t always like this. When word leaked in 1973 that Richard Nixon kept a list of political enemies, it was a scandal.
John Dean’s Senate testimony about the list made headlines and fueled a broader reckoning over abuses of power.
Today, Trump flaunts it. He brags about his enemies. He hosts made-for-TV events to declare new ones.
And Republican lawmakers fall in line, not because they believe in the bill, but because they fear being next.
Trump has proven time and again the bullying works. The party of Nixon’s shame is now the party of Trump’s spectacle.
