President Donald Trump lashed out a rebellious conservatives today, threatening to "fight them" in 2018 legislative elections if they "don't get on the team."
Deepening a fissure that destroyed his first major effort to pass a law, Trump took aim at members of the so-called "Freedom Caucus," branding them as a foe in the same vein as Democrats.
"The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!" Trump tweeted.
Trump's characteristically strong-handed approach is another effort to bring the fiercely conservative group, which has repeatedly voted against Republican leaders in Congress, into line.
Most of the group of 30 House Republicans rejected a previous White House ultimatum to vote for Trump's health care reform, delivered the new president a stinging political defeat.
The Freedom Caucus has long been a thorn in the side of Republican leaders. But during eight years of a Democratic White House, their differences with mainstream Republicans were contained.
With Republicans now in charge of the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate, those ideological differences have again come to the fore.
If they choose to, the Freedom Caucus could make Trump's life difficult in upcoming budget and tax debates.
If they decide to oppose the White House, Trump will be unable to lose any other Republican votes and may even need to court Democratic votes to pass his initiatives.
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