Former President Donald Trump proved this week that he still holds considerable sway over House Republicans, with a visit from Speaker Mike Johnson (R‑LA) and a controversial legislative vote highlighting how much chaos a few sentences from the former president can spark.
Since the House GOP took the majority after the 2022 midterm elections, Trump continues to put his fingerprints over legislative and campaign business, efforts that have led to party infighting and stalled policy proposals key to running the country.
Most recently, he got involved in the fight to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key surveillance tool essential to national security. The House passed the legislation, but not without opposition from the former president, who created a more c …