Republicans afraid of criticizing Trump are now blaming his cabinet instead

Republicans are getting so inundated with tirades and gripes about President Donald Trump that NBC News reports they’re now throwing their hands in the air and claiming they’re calls are on hold at the White House. Even as critics call Trump "tone-deaf" and in denial about the reality of things."

“Some Republicans …, when asked to come up with an answer to voters’ economic struggles, have opted to phone a friend,” reports NBC News, citing at least three public appearances where Republicans under the gun over Trump’s hated economic policies have claimed to be in “direct contact with Cabinet officials in the Trump administration to try to address” gripes.

“The comments come as an increasing number of Republicans … are distancing themselves from President Donald Trump amid his sinking approval ratings,” reports NBC News.

When confronted with unpopular economic policies, NBC News reports former Rep. Mike Rogers claimed Thursday night that he had spoken this week with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick amid the administration’s trade war with Canada. His duck and roll comes as Trump’s self-created tariffs on Canadian goods have hurt states with Republicans trying to defend their party and their president, particularly Michigan and states that share a border with Canada.

“I would like to see the deal made,” said Rogers, when pressed. “I actually called the White House this week and talked to the Secretary of Commerce about getting the deal done.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, recently claimed that she, too, is on the phone with a member of Trump’s Cabinet in response to complaints about rising heating oil prices in Maine. NBC News says she specifically ducked behind Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

“I have been the leading proponent of the low-income home heating program in Congress. We increased it last year, and just today, I was on the phone with a Cabinet secretary asking for early relief from these prices by getting the [Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program] funding out early right now, and I’m hopeful that will happen next week,” said Collins.

Republican Rep. John James, when backed by voters against a wall over rising heating oil prices and fuel costs and exploding trade costs, also claimed to be in a kind of call waiting face-off with the Trump administration over Canadian tariffs.

“I’ve actually called out the administration specifically, talking with the trade ambassador and saying that we must get back to the table, stop acting like children and negotiate a reciprocal, fair and mutually beneficial arrangement to make sure that we can bring our jobs back and protect our industry,” said James.

But claiming to be waiting on the phone and tapping their feet while constituents suffer does not appear to be winning any arguments with voters, said NBC, writing that “Republican pushback on the Trump administration is too little, too late.”

In any case, Trump has spent much of his second term obsessed with vanity projects to affirm his own legacy, and appears to be somewhat unaware of voters' economic gripes.

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